Preserve evidence of the threats and promptly report them to the platform and the police. Paying does not guarantee that the content will be removed or that further blackmail will stop. Do not delay in seeking help.
Under Rule 3(2)(b) of the IT Rules, as updated up to 10 February 2026, upon receiving a complaint about specified private, sexual, or impersonation/morphed content, the platform is required to take reasonable and practicable steps within two hours to remove the content or disable access to it. This is not a uniform deadline for every ordinary post. A request to the platform to remove content is separate from a criminal complaint about a threat.
What should you do now?
- Preserve the URL, username, time, and threat; do not share the content further in public.
- Immediately complain to the platform’s grievance officer, identifying the relevant content.
- Contact the cyber portal and the local police; seek help from someone you trust.
Which documents should you keep?
Keep the original messages, links, payment demands, profile information, and complaint acknowledgement.
Avoid this mistake
Deleting the original file or altering a screenshot may weaken the evidence.
A hypothetical example
A blackmailer demands payment while threatening to post a private video. Keep the threats and account details for the complaint. If the content has been published, provide its exact URL so the platform can identify the correct content.
Can you also complain about a fake image created using AI?
Yes. The fact that the image is not genuine does not remove the importance of a complaint about impersonation or blackmail.
Legal basis and useful sources
- IT Rules, 2021 — updated up to 10 February 2026; Rule 3(2)(b)
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — provisions relating to identity, cheating, stalking, and defamation
This is general legal information. Advice may differ depending on your facts, the applicable law, and state rules.