Morphed or private photos shared without your consent: what to do
For a photo or video of you shared, posted or faked without your consent, on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. Platforms have to act fast once you report it. The law is on your side.
Do this first
- 1
Report it to the platform first
Use the report option on the photo, video, post or account. Say it shows you without your consent, or that it's morphed or faked. Platforms have to act within 2 hours of a report like this.
- 2
Keep every trace
Screenshot the photo, the post, the profile and any messages about it, with the date and username visible. Don't delete anything, even if it's hard to look at.
- 3
If you feel unsafe, call 112
If you think you are in immediate danger, call 112. A threat over a chat or a call alone is not an emergency; the steps below are the route for those.
Step by step
- 1
Report it to the platform
Use the report option on the photo, video, post or account itself, and say it shows you without your consent, or that it's a morphed or faked image.
Platforms must act on this within 2 hours of your report, under the IT Rules. If the content is still up after that, or you want to reach the platform directly, use the links below to get to its reporting page.
- 2
Report it on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
Go to the portal and choose Register a Complaint. If the photo or video shows you nude, partly nude or in a sexual act, choose Women/Children Related Crime. For a morphed photo that is not sexual, choose Other Cyber Crime instead.
You can register anonymously, or register and track with your name and mobile number. Choose anonymous only if you don't need to hear back; tracking needs your contact details. A complaint filed under Women/Children Related Crime cannot be withdrawn later; one under Other Cyber Crime can be, until it becomes an FIR.
- 3
Use StopNCII to stop it spreading further
StopNCII.org is a free tool for adults. You can use it only if you still have the image or video yourself, it shows you nude, partly nude or in a sexual act, and you were 18 or older both when it was taken and now. It turns the file into a digital fingerprint on your own device. It never uploads the image itself.
It shares that fingerprint with the platforms that take part, so they can find and block copies before they're even posted. It doesn't take down a copy that's already live elsewhere; for that, use the steps above.
Under 18? StopNCII is only for adults. Report it to the platform and the portal above, and call 1098 for help.
- 4
You can also go to the police
Sharing, or threatening to share, an intimate photo or video of you without your consent, or morphing one, is a crime. Take your screenshots and your portal acknowledgement number to the police station.
An advocate can help if the police don't register your complaint.
- 5
Platform hasn't acted? Appeal to the Grievance Appellate Committee
If the platform's Grievance Officer doesn't help, or you disagree with their reply, appeal to the Grievance Appellate Committee within 30 days of that reply. It aims to decide within 30 days too.
The Committee only handles disputes with a platform's own decision; it doesn't handle financial fraud or other cybercrime.
What happens next
Once you report it, the platform has to take all reasonable steps to remove it, or block access to it, within 2 hours if it shows you nude, partly nude or in a sexual act, exposes a private part of your body, or is a morphed image of you.
Your portal complaint goes to the police of the state you choose. Keep your acknowledgement number for every follow-up.
StopNCII works in the background: once a platform that takes part finds a match to your fingerprint, it can act on it without you reporting that specific copy.
Watch out
- Someone who agreed to be photographed or filmed did not agree to it being shared. Sharing it anyway is a crime, whatever the circumstances it was taken in.
- Anyone who offers, for a fee, to get the photo taken down faster is a scam.
- Forwarding the photo to others, even to warn them, can make you part of spreading it too.
When an advocate can help
You can do every step above yourself. An advocate helps when:
- The police refuse to register your complaint
- You know who shared it and want a notice sent to them directly
- A platform's Grievance Officer or the Grievance Appellate Committee hasn't resolved it
Sources
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal · Ministry of Home Affairs
- Report abuse to social media platforms · Ministry of Home Affairs
- StopNCII.org · Non-government: run by SWGfL, a UK charity
- Grievance Appellate Committee · Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
- Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, rules 3(2)(b) and 3A · Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
- Amendment Rules, 2026, G.S.R. 120(E), 10 Feb 2026 (24 hours changed to 2 hours) · Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
- The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Section 77: voyeurism · Government of India, via IndiaCode
- The Information Technology Act, 2000, Section 66E: violation of privacy · Government of India, via IndiaCode
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This guide explains how to report a problem through official channels. It is not legal advice.