A 19-minute video, allegedly showing a young Indian couple in an intimate moment, went viral on social media a few weeks ago. Links were shared discreetly and not-so-discreetly, keywords trended and the clip travelled faster than any verified information about it ever did.
Even today, there is no clarity about the video’s origin, whether it was recorded consensually for private use, uploaded intentionally, leaked without consent or even manipulated using AI or deepfake technology. Yet, despite this uncertainty, public opinion arrived swiftly and decisively.
The keyword “19-minute video” quickly became one of the most searched terms on Google, soon making its way into news headlines and trending for weeks.
This pattern is not new. In India, leaked videos, often loosely labelled as ‘MMS scandals,’ have repeatedly exposed not just individuals, but a deeper societal instinct: to consume private content while outsourcing guilt, especially onto women.
Online Reactions
In the absence of verification, speculation filled the gap. Some claimed the video was a publicity stunt, others insisted it was a case of betrayal or moral failure. A few even suggested the woman ‘should have known better’.
Notably, there were also voices, particularly on platforms like Reddit, that pushed back against this narrative. Several users condemned the sharing of the video, questioned its authenticity, and criticised the disproportionate blame directed at the woman. Some even shifted focus to the man’s role, challenging the usual gendered script. These responses, while encouraging, were still drowned out by a much louder culture of voyeurism.
Selective Outrage
Past incidents, from college MMS cases in the early 2000s to more recent leaks involving private individuals, show a consistent trend. Women are subjected to harsher judgment, their character dissected and their futures compromised.
Men, even when equally involved, are more likely to fade into anonymity or be forgiven as having made a ‘mistake’.
In a recent case from West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, a Class 10 student allegedly died by suicide after AI-generated nude images created using her photographs were circulated on social media.
In Banda district of Uttar Pradesh, a 24-year-old woman allegedly died by suicide after an intimate video, allegedly shared by her cousin, went viral on social media. The incident reportedly led to her engagement being called off and police have registered a case against the accused.
Please Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with distressing thoughts or emotional crisis, support is available. India’s National Suicide Prevention Helpline (1800-121-3667) offers confidential, 24/7 assistance.
Organisations like AASRA (+91-22-27546669) and Sneha Suicide Prevention Helpline (+91-44-24640050) also provide free, non-judgmental listening and support. Reaching out to a trusted friend, family member or mental health professional can make a critical difference in difficult moments.
Porn-Driven Voyeurism
In cases where videos may even be morphed or AI-generated, this consumption risks harming people who may not be involved at all.
Media researchers have long noted that sustained exposure to explicit content online has contributed to a gradual desensitisation around intimacy and consent. When sexual acts are routinely consumed as content, the boundary between private and public intimacy begins to blur.
In such an environment, the act of watching is rarely seen as participation in harm, even when the individuals involved never consented to being viewed. The persistence of this behaviour suggests that the issue is not technology alone, but the attitudes governing its use. Privacy is treated as conditional, dignity as negotiable.
Bollywood and the Male Gaze
Bollywood has, at times, treated secretly recorded intimate moments as plot devices, humour or spectacle, normalising the idea that private intimacy can be watched, replayed, and discussed.
Films such as Vicky Aur Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, which centre their narrative around a leaked private recording, reflect how easily violations of privacy are framed as entertainment. When pop culture treats the recording and circulation of intimate moments as plot devices rather than harm, it becomes easier for audiences to see leaked videos not as abuse, but as content.
Besides, film industries across the world have long contributed to the over-sexualisation of women, often framing the female body as something to be watched, pursued, and consumed, while male desire is normalised as curiosity or conquest.
This gaze does not remain confined to the screen. When films repeatedly present women as objects of spectacle and reward aggressive masculinity, they shape how intimacy is viewed in real life.
What the law says
India does have legal provisions to address such violations. Sections of the Information Technology Act, along with provisions under the Indian Penal Code, criminalise the non-consensual sharing of intimate images and videos.
- Victims can file a complaint with the police or report the case online via the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in).
- Under the IT Act, sharing private images without consent is punishable (Sections 66E, 67 and 67A), with penalties ranging from 3 to 7 years of imprisonment and fines.
- The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita also criminalises voyeurism.
- Women and children can report anonymously on the cybercrime portal.
- The law protects victims’ identity, and compensation may be sought through victim compensation schemes.
The Logical Indian’s perspective
When private moments are turned into public spectacle, the real failure lies not in intimacy, but in how casually dignity is discarded online. A society that consumes leaked content while condemning those involved must confront its own complicity. Respect for consent, privacy and accountability cannot be optional in the digital age.
