HC orders takedown of Priety Zinta deepfakes, says…

The Bombay High Court has ordered the immediate removal of all deepfakes, morphed images, and unauthorized online content featuring actor Priety Zinta. Justice Madhav Jamdar held that the misuse of such content infringes upon an individual's fundamental rights, including the right to live with dignity.

What happened

Priety Zinta filed a suit regarding the widespread unauthorized use of her likeness, citing approximately 275 websites containing AI-generated, morphed, or superimposed images and videos. The actor’s counsel, Venkatesh Dhond, noted that the material included videos, images, and chatbot-style interactions that depicted her through deepfakes. These depictions misappropriated her image, likeness, and mannerisms, which Zinta has cultivated over a 25-year film career.

The court determined that this unauthorized content violated the plaintiff’s personality, publicity, and moral rights. These rights are protected under the constitutional guarantees of free speech and the right to life and personal liberty. In granting interim relief, the court emphasized that the creation of such synthetic media could significantly damage the actor's reputation.

During the proceedings, the court also addressed the role of intermediaries in managing such content. Justice Jamdar reminded online platforms of their due diligence obligations under the Information Technology Rules, stating that intermediaries must take proactive action to curb the spread of such material. The court asserted that if intermediaries fail to act against these offenders, they become complicit in violating the fundamental rights of citizens.