Delhi High Court protects Tabu from AI misuse and identity theft

The Delhi High Court has granted an ex-parte interim injunction to protect Bollywood actor Tabu from the unauthorized use of her name, image, voice, and other personality attributes. The ruling specifically addresses misuse through Artificial Intelligence, including deepfakes, face morphing, and other digital technologies.

Justice Jyoti Singh directed several major digital platforms, including Google, Meta, X, and Reddit, to remove or disable access to more than 150 identified URLs containing unauthorized or objectionable content. The court also ordered platforms and domain service providers to disclose Basic Subscriber Information and IP log details to assist in tracing the individuals responsible for the content.

The legal action follows allegations that Tabu’s identity was being commercially exploited through fake event-booking accounts, unauthorized merchandise, and fabricated statements. The suit also highlighted the circulation of AI-generated obscene content, where film excerpts were allegedly manipulated to generate revenue. The court noted that such unauthorized use can dilute an individual's unique identity and lead to unearned commercial gain by third parties.