Delhi HC grants interim protection to Shashi Tharoor against alleged AI deepfakes, orders…

In March 2026, Indian politician Shashi Tharoor sought legal recourse against the proliferation of deepfake videos that misused his image and voice. The Delhi High Court granted him interim protection, acknowledging his personality and publicity rights. The court has ordered social media platforms to take down the infringing content.

What happened

Tharoor filed a suit seeking a permanent injunction against the misuse of his persona via AI-generated deepfakes. The videos allegedly cloned his face, voice, vocabulary, and speaking style to falsely depict him making politically sensitive remarks, including praising Pakistan's diplomatic strategy. The court has directed social media platforms to remove the identified deepfake content and disclose the identity of the uploaders. The court observed that Tharoor's reputation, image, voice, and speaking style are uniquely identifiable and protected under the Constitution. The court has restrained unknown individuals from creating or circulating synthetic media using his identity through AI.