Someone has created a deepfake of you. What do you do right now? This guide gives you the exact, actionable steps to file a complaint on India’s National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and maximize your chances of fast removal and legal action.
Before You File: Evidence You Must Collect
The I4C (Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre) needs specific evidence to trace AI tool deployment. Before you open the portal, collect:
- Full URL(s) of the deepfake content on every platform it appears on
- Screenshots with timestamps – your phone’s built-in screenshot tool embeds device metadata
- Video download (if possible) – the original file may contain metadata about the AI tool used
- Platform report confirmation numbers – if you already reported to YouTube, Instagram, etc., save those reference IDs
- Any messages or communications from the person spreading the content, if known
Step-by-Step: Filing Your Complaint
- Go to cybercrime.gov.in
- Click “Report Cyber Crime” – choose “Report Other Cyber Crime” for deepfakes
- Click “File a Complaint” and register with your mobile OTP
- Select the crime category: “Online and Social Media Related Crime” ? “Morphing / Deepfake”
- Under “Incident Details”, use the phrase “Synthetically Generated Information under IT Rules Amendment 2026” – this flags it to the specialized SGI unit
- Upload your evidence: screenshots, URLs, downloaded files, platform complaint reference IDs
- Submit and note your Complaint Reference Number
What the I4C Does With Your Report
Once your complaint is received, I4C’s technical unit analyzes the content for AI tool fingerprints, IP address and hosting metadata, C2PA metadata (or its deliberate absence – which is itself an offence under the 2026 rules), and cross-platform spread patterns to identify coordinated distribution.
Use the 3-Hour Takedown Rule Simultaneously
File a formal grievance on every platform hosting the content at the same time as your I4C complaint. Under IT Rules Amendment 2026, platforms with 50 lakh+ Indian users must remove verified SGI within 3 hours. If they don’t, report this failure to MeitY’s Grievance Appellate Committee at gac.meity.gov.in.
You are not powerless. The law is on your side – but only if you use it correctly and quickly.
