Delhi High Court Intervenes Against AI Deepfake Misuse
In a significant legal ruling, the Delhi High Court has issued a permanent injunction against several online platforms and individuals, effectively preventing them from distributing deepfake videos and images that infringe upon the personality rights of prominent journalist Rajat Sharma and India TV. This decision, issued by Justice Jyoti Singh on August 24, aims to safeguard the intellectual property and personal attributes associated with Sharma and the media network.
Background of the Case
Rajat Sharma, along with India TV, approached the court to seek protection against the unauthorized use of Sharma’s personality and publicity rights. The case also involved allegations of trademark infringement, copyright violations, and unfair trade practices. The complaint highlighted that certain defendants were utilizing artificial intelligence to create doctored videos, misrepresenting Sharma’s likeness, voice, and other personal traits.
Initial Court Orders and Compliance
In December 2024, the High Court had initially issued an ex parte interim order to halt the misuse of Sharma’s personality rights and India TV’s intellectual property. The order directed Meta to block or remove the infringing content and provide details about the responsible parties. The Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology were also instructed to assist in blocking the offending websites, phone numbers, and social media channels.
Further Developments and Directives
As the case progressed, additional entities, including four YouTube channels, were implicated for disseminating deepfake videos featuring Sharma’s attributes. In November 2025, the court instructed Google to dismantle these channels and disclose relevant subscriber information, IP logs, and other account details. Despite being served, the defendants failed to submit written responses, leading to the closure of their right to file statements by the Joint Registrar in July 2026.
Rights and Future Actions
The court also empowered Sharma and India TV to directly contact Meta and Google regarding any new URLs or content misusing Sharma’s personality. Both platforms are required to acknowledge such complaints within 24 hours and take appropriate action within 36 hours after independently reviewing the claims under their policies. Should the platforms fail to respond, Sharma retains the right to seek further legal recourse.
More Read
Potential Trademark Recognition
Additionally, India TV has been granted the liberty to pursue a declaration in a subsequent lawsuit that its trademarks be recognized as “well-known” under the Trade Marks Act.
Legal Representation
The legal proceedings saw Sharma and India TV represented by advocates Sidharth Chopra, Disha Sharma, Snehima Jauhari, and Deepika Pokharia from Saikrishna & Associates. Google was defended by advocates Aditya Gupta, Vani Kaushik, and Rohith Venkatesan. The Union government authorities were represented by Central Government Standing Counsel Nishant Gautam, alongside advocates Manish Rawat, Srishti Singh, Mohit Bokoliya, and Abhishek Mohanpuria.
