Delhi High Court Reviews Allegations Against Meta’s Copyright System
Two digital influencers have approached the Delhi High Court, alleging misuse of Meta’s copyright enforcement mechanisms by unknown individuals, adversely affecting their Instagram accounts and original content. Financial educator Pushkar Raj Thakur and digital creator Neeraj Joshi have filed commercial suits, claiming that fabricated copyright claims are being used to threaten their content and accounts with deletion.
The core allegation involves the manipulation of Facebook’s editing feature to backdate posts, which are then used to initiate false copyright strikes. In Neeraj Joshi’s case, Justice Jyoti Singh recorded Meta’s promise on July 9 to investigate the claims and maintain Joshi’s Instagram account (@Neerajjoshi5014) if it hasn’t been permanently disabled.
The court directed Meta to furnish Basic Subscriber Information and IP logs to Joshi within three weeks, potentially identifying those allegedly tampering with his account. Summons were issued, and Joshi’s interim injunction application is scheduled for an August 5 hearing. Joshi’s legal action follows a similar suit by Pushkar Raj Thakur, both detailing the potential weaponization of copyright claims against creators.
Allegations of Systemic Exploitation
The suits allege that certain individuals exploit Facebook’s desktop version edit feature to replace old, unrelated content with original Instagram reels from creators, while the original post date remains unchanged. This manipulation falsely suggests the alleged infringer’s earlier publication of the content, enabling them to claim ownership via Meta’s Rights Manager and initiate copyright actions against the real creators.
Thakur has noted that numerous videos of his were removed or restricted, claiming Meta’s system enacted these actions without properly evaluating authorship, metadata, or publication history. He also accused Meta of denying him access to Rights Manager, while alleged infringers continued to misuse the platform against him.
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Court Instructions to Meta
During proceedings on May 29, Justice Tushar Rao Gedela requested Meta to clarify measures taken or planned to prevent the platform’s abuse. Meta assured Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani on July 1 that Thakur’s videos would remain intact pending the next hearing, and his account would not face closure due to repeated copyright strikes. Meta also agreed to restore deleted videos upon receiving the relevant URLs from Thakur, with the next hearing set for July 17.
Thakur is seeking an injunction to stop Meta from removing his content based on fraudulent claims. He also demands the introduction of KYC safeguards, timestamp integrity, metadata verification, and anti-manipulation protocols in Rights Manager, alongside claiming around ₹2 crore in damages for lost followers, monetization, sponsorships, and goodwill.
Impact on Digital Creators
These cases underscore the growing unease among digital creators that copyright protection tools can be manipulated to unfairly target them. A related public interest litigation is also pending before the High Court. Neeraj Joshi and Pushkar Raj Thakur are represented by Advocates Muskaan Garg and Himanshu Goyal. Meta’s legal representation includes Advocates Varun Pathak, Vishesh Sharma, and Prasidhi Agrawal. Google and Telegram are also involved, represented by their respective legal teams.
