Bollywood actress Preity Zinta gets relief from Bombay High Court over deep fake content uploaded on various social media platforms as they have been ordered to pull them down (ETV Bharat)
Mumbai: Some Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated deep fakes, morphed photographs, fake videos, and morphed content of Bollywood actress Preity Zinta had been circulating on social media. This prompted Zinta to move the Bombay High Court, demanding that these be pulled down in order to protect her identity.
The Bombay High Court issued orders to remove this AI-generated deepfake content on Wednesday. The HC bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar emphasised, “The Constitution grants everyone the fundamental right to live their life as they choose, including the right to personal privacy.” He stated, “It is inappropriate for others to exploit an individual’s personality.”
The HC directed all major social media platforms to remove the objectionable content related to Zinta immediately and issued an injunction restraining concerned parties from re-uploading it.
In this context, social media platforms like Google, X (formerly Twitter), and Meta (Facebook) informed the Bombay High Court of their willingness to cooperate fully. However, they argued, the objectionable content was uploaded by users, who, they claimed, were not responsible for it nor liable for any legal action regarding it.
The lawyers on behalf of these leading social media companies also acknowledged that if the Court issued an injunction, the specific content could be removed. Objections were also raised in the petition regarding certain publications and users.
Acknowledging these objections and affirming that infringing upon an individual’s fundamental right to live without their consent is improper, the Court issued injunction orders against the concerned parties.
Zinta’s petition stated that her name and likeness were being used for advertisements, promotions, and other purposes without her prior consent. She has claimed such actions violated her personality rights and adversely affected her popularity and private life.
Notices had been issued to 13 respondents, including Google, X, and Meta, requiring them to respond to Zinta’s petition. After hearing all parties and accepting the petitioner’s arguments, Justice Jamdar granted relief to Zinta and disposed of the petition on Wednesday.
Recently, a succession of celebrities has approached the courts to protect their personal rights or address issues regarding their publicity rights. This list includes prominent names such as Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Hrithik Roshan, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Asha Bhosle, Suniel Shetty, Kartik Aaryan, and many others.
