The Delhi High Court has granted journalist Rajat Sharma protection over his personality rights, ordering the removal of AI-generated and deepfake content exploiting his image and name. The court’s injunction against multiple defendants includes instructing Meta to delete offending material and provide defendant information, addressing serious violations of Sharma’s rights involving fraudulent health product endorsements.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has granted senior journalist Rajat Sharma protection over his personality rights, ordering the removal of AI-generated and deepfake content exploiting his persona. The interim order, passed on December 18 by Justice Amit Bansal, restrains multiple defendants from using Sharma’s name, image, voice, photos, or videos for any personal or commercial purposes without his explicit written consent.
The Court issued an ad interim injunction, instructing Meta Platforms Inc. to immediately block and remove the impugned content created by the defendants. Meta was further directed to provide detailed information about the defendants, including names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers.
The defendants are accused of circulating doctored videos and modified content using artificial intelligence (AI) to misrepresent Rajat Sharma’s endorsement. This content allegedly promotes fraudulent health products such as remedies for diabetes, prostatitis, and joint pain, falsely associating them with Sharma and other eminent personalities, including Amitabh Bachchan and Naresh Trehan.
According to the lawsuit, the manipulated content amounts to:
- Gross violation of Sharma’s personality and publicity rights.
- Unauthorized use of registered trademarks of INDIA TV.
- Copyright infringement of footage from the show ‘AAJ KI BAAT: RAJAT SHARMA KE SAATH.’
Sharma argued that these misrepresentations, especially false endorsements of health products, pose severe risks to his personal reputation and public trust. The misuse of his persona for fraudulent health claims could potentially harm individuals relying on these endorsements, endangering their health and safety.
Justice Bansal noted the gravity of the issue, emphasizing the potential for irreparable damage to both Sharma’s reputation and the trust placed in him by the public. The Court’s proactive stance ensures that misleading content leveraging AI and deepfake technologies is curtailed.
This case marks another instance of the judiciary stepping in to protect personality rights against emerging threats like AI and deepfake technologies. High-profile personalities, including Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor, have recently approached courts for similar protections.
Cause Title: Rajat Sharma And Anr. v. Tamara Doc And Ors.
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