The use of technology to spread vulgar and obscene content is akin to an arsenal. This includes not only visual images but also words, sounds, and artificial intelligence to attack a person’s reputation. There are many examples where such videos of reputable individuals have been created and shared. Even the country’s Prime Minister has not been spared by creators with such deranged mindsets. A detailed analysis of these various types of digital weapons is as follows.
5.1 Visual Assault: Proliferation of Explicit Images and Nudity
In the digital age, the most significant and impactful form of obscenity is visual content. High-definition cameras and fast internet have made the spread of nudity and explicit sexual images extremely easy. On social media platforms, such images are often promoted under the guise of art or fashion, directly affecting the mindset of viewers. These visual assaults are no longer limited to adult websites; they have reached personal messages through WhatsApp groups and Telegram channels. The constant barrage of such images stimulates the human brain and alters perceptions of real relationships. This visual material plays a major role in the objectification of women’s bodies. Due to this type of content, an increase in sexual crimes in society is observed, as such images lead to the perversion of sexual desires and loosen moral boundaries.[1]
5.2 The Written Word: Obscene Literature and Abusive Comments
Not only images but the written word also proves to be an effective weapon for spreading obscenity. Erotica available on the internet misuses the reader’s imagination. In addition, the use of profanity and vulgar words in comment sections on social media has become a serious issue. Filthy comments made on posts by any famous person or ordinary woman are examples of verbal exploitation. Obscene threads on platforms like Twitter are used to defame specific individuals. This vulgarity in written form has a deep impact on the reader’s mind and contributes to the degradation of language standards in society.[2] Due to such written text, incidents of cyberbullying increase, causing the victim to suffer mental distress. This toxic culture spread through words is making the digital world unsafe.
About a year ago, obscene dialogues spoken in a viral show on YouTube had created outrage across the country. There was a time when many people did not even know the meaning of profane words because people engaged in intimacy in privacy. In today’s digital age, such relationships are recorded and disseminated through digital public media. If such content, which lacks love but is full of indulgence and luxury, is constantly viewed, then why would words related to those acts below the waist not remain in people’s speech?
5.3 Toxic Audio: Profanity-Laced Voice Notes and Obscene Songs
Due to modern technology, obscenity is no longer limited to the eyes; it has now reached the ears as well. Obscene voice notes sent on WhatsApp and Messenger are prime examples of this. Often, such vulgar conversations are used to threaten or exploit women. Additionally, in recent times, songs have emerged with extremely crude and woman-degrading lyrics. These songs go viral through social media reels and reach the ears of everyone from young children to the elderly. Obscenity is being given the form of entertainment through music, which is even more dangerous.[3] Such toxic audio creates embarrassment in public places or family environments. This misuse of sound is done to attack people’s personal privacy and weaken them mentally.
5.4 Deepfakes and Morphing: The New Frontier of Non-Consensual Images
The most terrifying misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) is deepfakes and morphing. With this technology, the face of an ordinary or famous person can be perfectly superimposed on any obscene video or photo. It is so realistic that distinguishing between original and fake becomes difficult. There is no consent from the concerned person, yet their image is used for sexual exploitation. This technique is increasingly used to target women, known as ‘non-consensual intimate imagery’. Through morphing, simple photos of someone are transformed into obscene images to blackmail them. This technology represents a new and extremely dangerous frontier of digital criminality.[4] It not only tarnishes the person’s image but can destroy their entire social and mental life. This new type of crime has not yet been given a proper legal definition, and the longer the delay, the more ordinary people in society will suffer. Becoming the Vishwaguru cannot happen just by building roads and bridges; it will only happen if measures are taken to stop this horrific trend. In India, there was a time when another woman was considered a mother, sister, or daughter, and another man was considered a father, brother, or son, but this digital filth has reduced all such respects to dust.
5.5 Cultural Misuse: Sexualization of Rituals and Attire
A subtle yet lethal type in the arsenal of obscenity is the misuse of cultural symbols. Traditional rituals, festivals, and attire are deliberately given a sexual connotation. For example, wearing a saree or other traditional clothing in a way or presenting it such that only vulgarity is evident. In many reels and videos, obscene gestures are made during religious songs or cultural programs. This destroys the sanctity of that culture and conveys a wrong meaning of culture to the new generation. When cultural heritage is viewed through the lens of obscenity, the moral foundation of society weakens.[5] Such sexualization does not entertain; it becomes a desecration of culture. This type is deliberately done to hurt the sentiments of various communities or just to gain views, which is harmful to social well-being. Bollywood has already distorted Holi, and now social media is fully distorting the entire culture.[6]
[1] Tanya Sara George, “Modern Platforms, Outdated Laws”, P39A Criminal Law Blog, available at: https://p39ablog.com/2025/01/modern-platforms-outdated-laws/, last visited on 5.12.2025
[2] Isabel Cachola, Eric Holgate, Daniel Preot¸iuc-Pietro, Junyi Jessy Li, “Expressively vulgar: The socio-dynamics of vulgarity and its effects on sentiment analysis in social media”, Proceedings of the 27th International Conference on Computational Linguistics, pages 2927–2938 Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, August 20-26, 2018.
[3] “Obscene Entertainment and Its Effect on Indian Society”, Talkitout, available at: https://www.talkitout.in/post/obscene-entertainment-and-its-effect-on-indian-society, last visited on 5.12.2025
[4] “Morphing Menace: What Every Policeman Must Know to Combat Online Image Abuse”, Cyber Hygiene, available at: https://cyberhygiene.community/blogdetails/what-every-policeman-must-know-to-combat-online-image-abuse, last visited on 5.12.2025
[5] Pooja Tripathi, “Obscenity in Content and Indian Philosophical Views”, Philosophical multiverse, Dt. 21.2.2025, https://thephilosophicalmultiverse.com/obscenity-in-content/, last visited on 5.12.2025
[6] Rinku Tai, “होली का विकृत स्वरूप: होली गीतों पर एक चिंतन”, unpublished, available at: https://aratt.ai/@rinkutai222361/392,
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