Women adv case order HONOURABLE MR JUSTICE N. ANAND VENKATESH WP No. 25017 of 2025 and WMP Nos. 28191 & 28194 of 2025 X Petitioner(s) Vs

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED: 19-08-2025
CORAM
THE HONOURABLE MR JUSTICE N. ANAND VENKATESH
WP No. 25017 of 2025 and
WMP Nos. 28191 & 28194 of 2025
X
Petitioner(s)
Vs
1.The Union Of India
Represented by the Secretary To Government, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology 6, Lodhi Road, CGO Complex, Pragati Vihar, Electronics Niketan, New Delhi-110 003.
2.The Director General Of Police, Dr.Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore, Chennai – 600 004.
(R2 Suo Motu impleaded vide court order dated 09.07.2025 made in
W.P.No.25017 of 2025)
Respondent(s)
PRAYER
directing the respondent herein to act upon the petitioner’s representation dated 18.06.2025 by taking all appropriate measures, including, but not limited to, blocking/removing/issuing take-down notices/issuing directions to all concerned intermediaries/websites/pornographic platforms/ telecommunication service providers to forthwith and on a continuing basis detect, remove, and block all content depicting the petitioner’s Non-Consensual Intimate Images and Videos (NCII), which are being uploaded, shared re-uploaded, transmitted or
distributed over the internet and digital platforms, by employing technological solutions such as Hash Matching Technology, Artificial Intelligence-based content recognition tools including PhotoDNA, Google content safety, Hash checkers, or any other similar tools or mechanisms, so as to ensure the effective removal of such content and to prevent its further dissemination on any internet or digital platform at present and in the future.
For Petitioner(s): Mr.Abudu Kumar Rajaratnam
Senior Counsel
For Mr.Rajagopal Vasudevan
For Respondent(s): Mr.A.Kumaraguru
Senior Panel Counsel For R1
Mr.A.Gokulakrishnan,
Additional Public Prosecutor
Assisted by Mr.V.Meganathan
Government Advocate For R2
O R D E R
When the matter was taken up for hearing today, the learned Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner submitted that in 8 video links, the video/intimate images are resurfacing. The list of the 8 video links was also
furnished to the learned Senior Panel Counsel appearing on behalf of the 1st respondent.
2. The learned Senior Panel Counsel appearing on behalf of the 1st respondent submitted that immediately after the receipt of the 8 video links, attempts were made to open them in Delhi and Bombay, and they were not opening. Therefore, it was submitted that the network that is used in Tamil Nadu has to be blocked, and only then can the 8 video links be effectively stopped from resurfacing.
3. The learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing on behalf of the 2nd respondent submitted that already 93 video links were blocked and it did not resurface. Therefore, those 8 video links which have been furnished today will be blocked by the 2nd respondent after following necessary procedures.
4. The learned Senior Panel Counsel appearing on behalf of the 1st respondent produced the minutes of the meeting of the Committee, which was specifically constituted to formulate the Prototype and Standard Operating Procedure for combating dissemination of Non-Consensual Intimate Images and Videos (NCII) content. The minutes of the meeting were placed in a sealed cover. It is seen that elaborate discussion has taken place and the Committee has identified the key issues that has to be addressed.
5. It is clear from the above that the concerned Ministry is in the process of formulating the Standard Operation Procedure and experts form part of the Committee. This Court expects the Committee to finalize the SOP at the
earliest.
6. The learned Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner submitted that the Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing has brought out a dedicated Cyber Patrol and Intelligence Team to proactively monitor and counter illegal, fraudulent activities in the cyber space. For this purpose, they use Artificial
Intelligence (AI) tools to identify the ongoing cyber scams in the Country.
Hence, whenever information is received of suspicious activity, the Cyber Command Center maps geographic location and alerts the jurisdictional Police immediately to prevent the victim from online transfer of the money.
7. The learned Senior Counsel submitted that such prevention can be undertaken even with respect to the pornographic sites, which directly involves the dignity of the women. The learned Senior Counsel submitted that if such prevention can be made with respect to online scams, the same AI technology can be used for blocking the pornographic sites also.
8. The 2nd respondent shall immediately take steps to block the 8 video
links by following the necessary procedures and report compliance. The 2nd respondent shall also consider introducing such cyber patrolling insofar as preventing videos/intimate images in the category of NCII.
9. Post this case on 28.08.2025 at 2:15 p.m., under the caption “For
Reporting Compliance”.
19-08-2025
Index:Yes/No
Speaking/Non-speaking order
Neutral Citation:Yes/No Jeni
Note: Registry is directed to issue order copy on 19.08.2025.
To
1.The Union Of India
Represented by the Secretary To Government, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology 6, Lodhi Road, CGO Complex, Pragati Vihar, Electronics Niketan, New Delhi-110 003.
2.The Director General Of Police, Dr.Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore, Chennai – 600 004.
N.ANAND VENKATESH J.
Jeni
WP No. 25017 of 2025
19-08-2025