Sun Oct 05 20:06:35 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
The Delhi High Court is increasingly taking action to protect the personality rights of celebrities and individuals against misuse of their likeness, voice, and name, particularly in the context of AI-generated deepfakes and digital impersonation. This trend began with a case involving Amitabh Bachchan and has expanded to include other actors and public figures like Anil Kapoor and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The court is adapting existing legal frameworks like privacy and intellectual property rights to address these new challenges, as India lacks specific legislation on personality rights. While the court has primarily dealt with cases involving celebrities, legal experts suggest that private individuals could also seek similar protection. The rulings acknowledge the importance of free speech but emphasize the need to prevent the tarnishment or exploitation of an individual’s persona.
**News Article:**
**Indian Courts Ramp Up Protection Against AI-Driven Impersonation**
**New Delhi – October 6, 2025** – Indian courts are taking a proactive stance against the rising threat of AI-generated deepfakes and digital impersonation, extending legal protections to celebrities and potentially, private individuals. The Delhi High Court has been at the forefront of this movement, adapting existing laws to safeguard personality rights in the face of rapidly advancing technology.
The trend began in 2022 with a landmark ruling protecting actor Amitabh Bachchan from the misuse of his identity in scams. This case has since snowballed into a series of similar orders, reshaping the judiciary’s response to the commercial exploitation of famous personalities through AI.
The growing sophistication of generative AI has enabled unauthorized users to easily imitate a celebrity’s likeness, leading to instances of misuse. Actor Anil Kapoor successfully sought court intervention against obscene deepfake videos circulating online. Similarly, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar secured protection from false endorsements of Ayurvedic cures using his image.
“Fame can come with its own disadvantages,” Justice Prathiba M. Singh noted during Kapoor’s case, highlighting the damage to reputation and livelihood that digital impersonation can inflict.
With India lacking specific legislation on personality rights, the courts are drawing on constitutional rights to privacy, intellectual property law, and unfair trade practices. Lawyer Tanu Banerjee from Khaitan & Co. explained that courts are stretching existing frameworks to protect individuals.
While the cases so far have involved celebrities and public figures, legal experts believe that the principles established could extend to private individuals as well. Furthermore, these rights can be passed on to legal heirs after death.
The courts have acknowledged the importance of free speech but have drawn a line at uses of impersonation that “result in tarnishment, blackening or jeopardizes the individual’s personality.”
The evolving legal landscape reflects the growing need to protect individuals in the digital age, as AI technologies become more powerful and accessible.
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