'Consent to Record Is Not Consent To Share': Priyank Kharge Announces Mandatory FIRs In Revenge Porn Cases

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge has announced a major policy directive aimed at strengthening action against revenge pornography, sextortion and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images and videos, stressing that “consent to record is not consent to share.”

In a post on X, Kharge said he had directed the Home Department to make the registration of First Information Reports (FIRs) mandatory in cases involving revenge pornography, sextortion and blackmail videos. He also revealed that the Karnataka Police Department has issued a Standing Order instructing police officers across the state to take immediate and stringent action against the unauthorised publication, transmission or circulation of intimate content.

The order makes it clear that even if a person willingly consented to the recording of a photo or video, that consent does not extend to its distribution. Sharing, forwarding or publishing such material without the subject’s permission constitutes a separate cognizable offence.

Under the new directions, police officers are required to compulsorily register FIRs in complaints involving the non-consensual dissemination of intimate content under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Information Technology Act, 2000. Authorities have also been instructed not to reject or delay complaints merely because the victim had earlier agreed to being photographed or recorded.

The Standing Order further directs police to invoke additional legal provisions in cases involving extortion, threats or coercion for sexual favours. Where jurisdictional issues arise, officers must register a Zero FIR and transfer the matter to the appropriate police station without delay.

Police have also been asked to work swiftly to remove or block offending content, preserve electronic evidence and coordinate with cyber crime units for technical investigations.

Emphasising a victim-centric approach, the order requires officers to maintain confidentiality, avoid victim-blaming and, wherever feasible, ensure that complaints by women are recorded by women police personnel. It also warns that officers who fail to register FIRs on the mistaken assumption that prior consent to recording bars legal action may face departmental proceedings.

Kharge said the move reinforces the constitutional right to privacy and seeks to establish a uniform, sensitive and legally robust response to such offences across Karnataka.