Cyber Harassment — Stalking, NCII & Online Abuse
When you are a victim of cyber-stalking, doxing, non-consensual intimate images (revenge porn), online impersonation, or any online sexual abuse — especially involving a minor
Your rights
7 rights, every one grounded in a specific statutory section.
Right to have cyber-stalking prosecuted as a criminal offence — following a person through electronic communication and causing fear is punishable under BNS s.78 (up to 3 years for first offence, 5 years for repeat).
BNS s. 78BNS s.78 — Stalking (including cyber-stalking via internet/electronic communication); punishment up to 3 years (repeat: 5 years)Right to protection against voyeurism — capturing, publishing, or transmitting images of a person in a private act without consent is a criminal offence under BNS s.77.
BNS s. 77BNS s.77 — Voyeurism; capturing or publishing private images without consent; punishable up to 7 yearsRight to have non-consensual intimate image (NCII) sharing prosecuted — publishing or transmitting sexually explicit material without consent is punishable under IT Act s.67A (up to 5 years) and BNS s.79.
IT s. 67AIT Act 2000 s.67A — Publishing or transmitting material containing sexually explicit act in electronic form; up to 5 yearsRight to take down obscene/NCII content under IT Act s.67 — you can report to the platform and to cybercrime.gov.in for takedown. Platforms must remove content within 36 hours of government notice (24 hours for CSAM).
IT s. 67IT Act 2000 s.67 — Publishing obscene material in electronic form; takedown obligations on intermediariesRight to have child sexual abuse material (CSAM) prosecuted under POCSO — production, storage, or transmission of CSAM is a serious offence if the victim is a minor (under 18).
POCSO s. 15POCSO Act 2012 s.15 — Storage of pornographic material involving child; punishment up to 3 years or fineRight to report online impersonation as a criminal offence — impersonating another person online with intent to harm or deceive is punishable.
IT s. 66DIT Act 2000 s.66D — Punishment for cheating by personation using computer resource; up to 3 yearsRight to have your privacy violation prosecuted — capturing or publishing a private image without consent is an offence under IT Act s.66E (up to 3 years).
IT s. 66EIT Act 2000 s.66E — Privacy violation; capturing/publishing private images without consent; up to 3 years
Your duties
What you must do so the law is on your side.
PRESERVE ALL EVIDENCE BEFORE REPORTING — take screenshots of every harmful post, message, profile, or URL with the date/time visible. Do NOT delete anything; you need the evidence.
Report to the platform first — use the platform's reporting tools to flag content for takedown; save the complaint reference number.
File a cybercrime complaint at cybercrime.gov.in or your nearest Cyber Crime Cell — for NCII/child abuse, there is a dedicated portal with priority handling.
IT s. 67BIT Act 2000 s.67B — Child sexually abusive material (CSAM); report to NCMEC / cybercrime.gov.in
Do say
- ·“I want to file a cybercrime complaint at the Cyber Crime Cell / cybercrime.gov.in for [stalking/NCII/impersonation].”
- ·“I have preserved screenshots of all the harmful content with timestamps as evidence.”
- ·“I am requesting an emergency takedown under IT Act s.67/67A — please expedite.”
- ·“If a minor is involved, this is a POCSO offence — please treat this as highest priority.”
- ·“I want a Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act application if this harassment is from a domestic partner.”
Do not say
- ·Do NOT delete any message, post, or profile even if it is distressing — this is your primary evidence.
- ·Do not respond to, engage with, or provoke the harasser online — it may escalate and complicate the legal case.
- ·Do not share the NCII material further (even to show others as proof) — this could make you legally liable.
- ·Do not wait for the content to "go away" — NCII can be replicated; act immediately.
Get a lawyer immediately if
- ·If intimate images have been shared without your consent — act within 24 hours. Report to cybercrime.gov.in and the platform; consult a lawyer immediately.
- ·If a minor is the victim — call 1098 (Childline) and report to cybercrime.gov.in. POCSO mandates mandatory reporting; do not delay.
- ·If you receive threats of further exposure unless you comply (sextortion) — do not pay. File with the Cyber Crime Cell immediately and consult a lawyer.
- ·If the harasser is known to you (e.g., ex-partner) — you may also have DVA and restraining order remedies; consult a lawyer.
- ·If accounts or profiles impersonating you are active — report to the platform AND file an FIR under IT Act s.66D; consult a lawyer.
- ·Do not access, open, or forward any suspicious links from the harasser — they may install malware or create false evidence.
Emergency contacts
National helplines available 24/7.
Statutory references
Every right and duty above is anchored in one of these.
- BNS s. 77Voyeurism — capturing/publishing private images without consent
- BNS s. 78Cyber-stalking — electronic communication causing fear
- IT s. 66DOnline impersonation / cheating by personation
- IT s. 66EPrivacy violation — capturing/publishing private images
- IT s. 67Publishing obscene material electronically
- IT s. 67APublishing sexually explicit material — NCII
- IT s. 67BChild sexually abusive material (CSAM)
- POCSO s. 15Storage of child pornographic material
Need this in an emergency?
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Get the mobile app →Not legal advice. This guide is a citation-grounded reference, not a substitute for a lawyer. If your rights have been violated or you need to act on something specific, consult an advocate. We do not connect citizens to lawyers (BCI Rule 36 compliant).
Every right and duty above maps to a section of an Indian statute. We do not generate legal text — every quoted citation is sourced from BNS / BNSS / BSA / Constitution / the relevant special Act and verified before publication.