Delhi High Court: Kriti Sanon Personality Rights Protected Against AI Deepfakes

• The Delhi High Court granted an interim injunction protecting actor Kriti Sanon's personality rights.
• The order specifically targets AI-generated obscene images, deepfakes, impersonation accounts, and AI chatbots.
• Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav issued the ruling on October 29 in the case of Kriti Sanon Vs BBE Marketing Inc & Ors.
• The injunction prohibits unauthorized use of Sanon's name, image, likeness, and voice, including the sale of merchandise.
• The court noted Sanon's prior, unaddressed complaints to intermediaries regarding fraudulent social media accounts circulating morphed, sexually suggestive AI content.

This decisive action by the Delhi High Court provides a crucial precedent for protecting individual personality rights against the misuse of AI-generated content, including deepfakes and impersonation, which are increasingly prevalent threats in the digital age.

The Delhi High Court has issued an interim order safeguarding actor Kriti Sanon's personality rights against the unauthorized use of her identity, encompassing her name, image, likeness, and voice. This significant ruling specifically addresses the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate content such as obscene images, deepfakes, and to create impersonation accounts and AI chatbots.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, on October 29, delivered the order in the case of Kriti Sanon Vs BBE Marketing Inc & Ors. The injunction targets various named defendants, alongside unidentified entities, prohibiting them from producing or circulating material that impersonates the actor or falsely suggests any affiliation with her. This comprehensive directive aims to curb the rampant digital exploitation of public figures.

The court's restraining order is broad, covering a spectrum of infringing content. It explicitly includes morphed or obscene images, videos, and audio, particularly those created using AI technologies. Furthermore, it extends to AI chatbots and voice models that mimic Sanon without her explicit consent, ensuring a wide-ranging shield against digital identity theft.

Beyond digital impersonation, the injunction also prohibits the unauthorized sale of merchandise that exploits Sanon's name and image. This aspect of the ruling underscores the court's intent to protect the actor's commercial and personal rights across various platforms and forms of media, highlighting the multifaceted nature of personality rights in India.

Kriti Sanon initiated the legal proceedings after discovering numerous fraudulent accounts across major social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Pinterest. These accounts were falsely presenting themselves as her official representatives, misleading the public and potentially causing reputational harm. The actor's plea detailed that these unauthorized profiles were actively disseminating AI-generated content that was morphed and sexually suggestive, directly impacting her public image.

Justice Kaurav noted that Sanon's decision to approach the court was justified, especially given her prior attempts to resolve the issue. The actor had previously lodged complaints with the intermediaries hosting these fraudulent accounts, but her concerns had gone unaddressed. This lack of response from the platforms necessitated judicial intervention to protect her rights.

The interim injunction mandates the immediate takedown of all flagged content and strictly prohibits any further uploading or circulation of such material. This decisive action by the Delhi High Court provides a crucial precedent for protecting individual personality rights against the misuse of AI-generated content, including deepfakes and impersonation, which are increasingly prevalent threats in the digital age.

This ruling, specifically addressing celebrity rights AI injunctions, reinforces the legal framework surrounding personality rights in India. It signals a strong judicial stance against the unauthorized exploitation of an individual's identity through advanced technological means, offering a vital mechanism for public figures like Kriti Sanon to safeguard their image and voice from AI-driven infringement.

This interim injunction from the Delhi High Court provides a significant precedent for protecting individual personality rights against the misuse of AI-generated content, including deepfakes and impersonation. Lawyers should advise clients, particularly public figures, on the viability of seeking similar injunctive relief to safeguard their image and voice in the evolving digital landscape, citing this case as a strong reference point for judicial intervention against AI-driven infringement.

Source: Original reporting via Bar and Bench