|
Cricketer and former Member of Parliament Gautam Gambhir has moved the Delhi High Court seeking urgent relief over the alleged misuse of his identity through artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and unauthorised commercial activities.
The Court has now postponed the hearing to Monday after noting certain issues in the case documents. The matter was heard by Justice Jyoti Singh, where the Court observed a discrepancy between the plaint and the memo of parties regarding the description of the parties involved. This issue was pointed out by the defendant intermediaries. On the request of Gambhir's counsel, Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, the Court allowed time to correct the error and directed that a fresh memo of parties be filed before the next hearing. During the proceedings, Dehadrai told the Court that the matter is serious and that a strong prima facie case has been made out. He sought immediate protection for Gambhir, stating that several deepfake videos have been circulated online falsely showing him making statements such as resigning or behaving inappropriately with other players. He also highlighted an instance where Gambhir's face was morphed onto the image of the Father of the Nation, calling it deeply disturbing. The counsel further informed the Court that a false rumour about Gambhir resigning as a coach had recently spread online, adding to the damage caused to his reputation. He also pointed out that Gambhir has over 12 million followers on Twitter and argued that social media platforms are being used to spread and amplify such misleading content. In his plea, Gambhir has sought a permanent injunction to stop all defendants from using his name, image, voice, or identity without his consent. He has also requested an immediate order for the removal of such content and to prevent further circulation while the case is pending. Additionally, he has sought damages of Rs 2.5 crore and a full account of profits made through such misuse. The petition names 16 defendants, including social media accounts, platform operators, and e-commerce websites. It also claims that his identity has been used to sell unauthorised products online without permission. According to the plea, there has been a rise in fake AI-generated content since late 2025, including videos falsely showing him making statements he never made. Some of these videos have received large viewership, misleading people and harming his public image. The case is based on provisions under the Copyright Act, Trade Marks Act, and Commercial Courts Act, and highlights the growing concern over the misuse of personality rights in the age of AI. The Court will now hear the matter further on Monday. (ANI)
|
