Nitin Gadkari can sue Meta, X over AI deepfakes on E20…

On October 21, 2024, the Bombay High Court ruled that Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari may initiate a civil lawsuit against major technology platforms, including Meta Platforms, X Corp, and Google LLC. The legal action addresses the proliferation of AI-generated deepfake videos and manipulated content that falsely link the minister to the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) and E20 fuel initiatives.

What happened

Nitin Gadkari’s legal plea asserts that the deepfake content inaccurately portrays him as having personal responsibility for the EBP and E20 programs, which are managed exclusively by the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. According to the court filing, the manipulated videos utilize his likeness without authorization to allege that he and his family have financially benefited from these initiatives. The suit argues that these false allegations are designed to create a misleading impression of misuse of public office for private gain, resulting in irreparable harm to his reputation.

While the minister clarified that the lawsuit is not intended to prevent fair public debate or legitimate criticism of government policy, he contends that the abusive language and fabricated content fall outside the scope of permissible political discourse. The legal action seeks a court order directing the defendant platforms to remove, disable, and halt the further circulation of the identified manipulated media. Additionally, the suit names the Union Ministries of Electronics and Information Technology and Telecommunications as respondents. Justice Abhay Ahuja has granted permission for the suit to proceed, with future hearings scheduled to address the application for interim relief, including a potential temporary injunction.