Sextortion Victim - Guide to prevent your privacy
Immediate Actions to Take
Do not pay: Paying an extortionist or blackmailer rarely stops them. It usually leads to demands for more money or continued harassment.
Preserve all evidence: Do not delete chats, messages, call logs, audio notes, emails, or social media profiles. Take clear screenshots of everything, including the perpetrator’s user ID, phone numbers, payment details, and QR codes.
Block and restrict contact: Block the person on all communication channels and restrict your privacy settings on social media. If the threat is online, do not engage or reply further.
Inform someone you trust: Share what is happening with a close family member or trusted friend to reduce the psychological pressure and close off the blackmailer's isolation tactics.
You Are Not Alone: A Victim's Guide to StopNCII.org and Take It Down
A cybersecurity consultant's guide for victims of non-consensual intimate image abuse. Educational and awareness purpose only.
1. The problem in simple words
Someone shares, or threatens to share, your private photos or videos without your consent.
This is called Non-Consensual Intimate Image (NCII) abuse.
It includes sharing intimate images or videos of someone, online or offline, without their consent. This can include manipulated images and deepfakes.
It often starts with trust: a photo sent to a partner, friend or online contact.
It can also start with sextortion: "Pay me or I will leak your photos."
Remember:
It is not your fault. The person who shares or threatens is the one committing the offence.
Do not stay silent. There are free tools and legal options.
2. Two free tools
For | People who were 18 or older when the image was taken | People who were under 18 when the image was taken |
Run by | Revenge Porn Helpline, part of SWGfL, a UK not-for-profit charity | National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) |
Cost | Free | Free |
Works from | Anywhere in the world | Anywhere in the world |
StopNCII.org is a tool developed by Meta and the charity SWGfL. It is not a government body.
3. How both tools work (high-level)
Both tools use hashing.
A hash is a digital fingerprint of your image or video.
Copies of the same image all have the exact same hash value.
Your photo never leaves your device. A hash is sent from your device, but not the image or video itself.
The hash goes to a secure list. Participating platforms compare uploads against that list.
If a platform finds a match, it reviews the content against its policies and acts on it.
Images and videos cannot be rebuilt from the hash values.
Think of it like this: you give the platforms a barcode of your photo. You do not give them the photo.
4. When to use these tools
Use StopNCII.org when:
Someone is threatening to share your intimate images.
Your images were already shared and you want protection from more spreading.
You fear an ex-partner may leak them.
You are a victim of sextortion. You can create a case if you have access to the content.
You have a deepfake of you. If it is nude or semi-nude and you have the file, you can hash it.
Use Take It Down when:
The image was taken before you turned 18.
You can still use it if you are over 18 now, as long as you were under 18 when the image was taken.
You are unsure whether it was shared but want help removing it from places it may appear.
Who can use StopNCII.org (eligibility):
You must be the person in the image, be 18 or older now and when it was taken, and still have the image or video.
You cannot submit on behalf of someone else. Gently encourage them to start the process themselves.
5. Limits you must know
Be honest about what these tools cannot do. This protects you from false hope.
They do not clean the whole internet. StopNCII.org cannot remove images from the whole internet, only from participating platforms.
Encrypted chats are not covered. Most messaging platforms use encryption, so hashing does not apply there.
Edited copies may slip through. If an image is cropped, filtered, or a video is clipped, the original hash may not recognise it. The new version needs its own hash.
Past posts are harder to remove. Online platforms may have limited ability to remove content already posted in the past.
You cannot add images to an old case. You need to start a new case.
6. SOP: step by step for victims
Step 1: Stay calm and stop the panic spiral
Take a breath. Acting in a planned way works better than reacting in fear.
Do not pay a blackmailer. Payment rarely ends the threat.
Do not delete your chats or messages yet.
Step 2: Save the evidence (adult victims)
Evidence helps the police and the platforms. Save:
Screenshots and screen recordings of threats, messages and posts
Usernames, phone numbers and profile links
Dates and times of each incident
Do this before you block the person.
⚠️ If the images show someone under 18: do not download, forward or screenshot the explicit images. Save only the threat messages, usernames and links. Take trusted adult or police help. Take It Down says not to download or share any explicit image or video in order to submit it.
Step 3: Create a hash (the main tool step)
For adults (18+): StopNCII.org
Open stopncii.org and click Create Your Case.
Answer the eligibility questions.
Select the image(s) or video(s) on your device. You can hash up to 20 files at a time.
The tool creates the hash on your device.
Write down your case number and PIN. If lost, they cannot be recovered.
You may enter an email to receive your case number. This is optional. The email is kept for only 3 days.
Tips from StopNCII:
Videos and images use different hash formats. Take a few screenshots of the video and hash those alongside the video.
If you only have a screenshot, remove any borders around the image, but do not crop the image itself.
Once the hash is created, you can delete the image from your device if you wish. The hash stays.
For under-18 victims: Take It Down
Open takeitdown.ncmec.org and click Get Started.
Select the image or video already on your device.
The tool creates the hash. The file stays on your device and is not uploaded.
You do not need to share your name or address.
Do not share the images on social media afterwards. Once the hash is on the list, reposting could get flagged and may put a block on your account.
Important: Submit only from the device where the images were originally taken. Do not ask a friend to send them to you.
Step 4: Report on the platform where it appears
If images are already online, your first step should be to report them to the platforms.
Use the platform's report option. Pick the nudity / intimate image reason.
Add the hash on top for future protection.
Step 5: Report to the Indian authorities
National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
Go to cybercrime.gov.in.
Choose the Women/Child Related Crime option.
One Stop Centres can also help with legal aid, counselling and filing complaints on the portal.
You can also call 1930 for immediate help.
The portal allows anonymous complaints, which helps victims who fear social stigma.
Police
Visit your nearest cyber police station or local police station.
Submit a written complaint.
Keep copies of your evidence and the complaint receipt.
Platform takedown rights in India
Under Rule 3(2)(b) of the IT Rules, 2021, on a complaint by an individual, the platform must remove content that shows the person in a sexual act or conduct within 24 hours. This includes morphed images.
MeitY issued an SOP on 11 November 2025 to support quick removal of NCII, built around this 24-hour rule.
If the platform's grievance officer does not respond, you can appeal to the Grievance Appellate Committee at gac.gov.in.
Step 6: Track your case
StopNCII.org: use your case number and PIN on the Case Status page. You may need to wait 3 to 5 days to see updates.
Take It Down: You will not be notified if a match is found, because the service is anonymous.
Step 7: Protect yourself going forward
Change passwords and turn on two-factor authentication.
Make your social profiles private and review who follows you.
Check your phone and cloud backups for unknown access.
Do not engage with the abuser again.
Step 8: Get emotional support
Talk to a trusted person, a counsellor, or a support helpline.
You are a victim of abuse, and what you feel is valid.
7. Indian law in brief
This is general awareness, not legal advice. Talk to a lawyer for your case.
IT Act, Section 66E: violation of privacy. Punishable with up to three years in prison or a fine up to two lakh rupees.
IT Act, Sections 67 and 67A: cover sending obscene and sexually explicit material in electronic form.
Child victims: Sections 67B and 67A of the IT Act penalise publishing or sharing child sexual abuse material.
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Section 77 (voyeurism): can be used with Section 66E when filing a case in court.
Court direction: A 2025 Madras High Court judgment called for strong action against the spread of NCII and stressed the role of cybercrime.gov.in.
8. Common myths
Myth | Fact |
"I will have to upload my photos to a stranger." | No. The image stays on your device. |
"Someone will look at my photos." | No one sees your images when the hash is created. |
"This removes it from the entire internet." | No. Only participating platforms. |
"I'm to blame because I sent the photo." | No. Sharing without consent is the offence. |
"I can't use it if I'm already an adult." | For Take It Down, age when the photo was taken matters, not today's age. |
"I can help my friend by submitting for her." | No. Only the person in the image can submit. |
9. Quick checklist
☐ Save threats, usernames, links (no explicit images if minor)
☐ Do not pay, do not delete chats
☐ Create a hash: StopNCII.org (18+) or Take It Down (under 18 when taken)
☐ Note the case number and PIN safely
☐ Report on the platform
☐ File on cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930
☐ Submit a written complaint at the police station
☐ Secure your accounts
☐ Reach out for emotional support
10. Final message
Hashing tools give you control back without making you share your photos with anyone. They work best together with platform reports, police complaints and personal support.
If this is happening to you or someone you know: don't stay silent. Report it.
Sources
StopNCII.org (home, How It Works, FAQ): stopncii.org
Take It Down by NCMEC (home, FAQ): takeitdown.ncmec.org
SCC Online, MeitY SOP on NCII (Nov 2025): scconline.com/blog/?p=366432
Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 601 (MeitY, 2021): eparlib.nic.in
Rajya Sabha reply, PQ 262 (Dec 2023): rsdebate.nic.in
iPleaders, legal remedies for non-consensual images: blog.ipleaders.in
IndiaLaw, NCII abuse and victim rights: indialaw.in
Cybermithra, 24-hour deletion SOP: cybermithra.in
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