Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday reserved its decision on interim relief sought by Raghav Chadha in a lawsuit alleging misuse of his identity through AI-generated deepfakes, altered visuals and manipulated social media material.
The matter came up before Justice Subramonium Prasad, who heard arguments relating to Chadha’s plea seeking protection of his personality rights and removal of allegedly fabricated digital content circulating online.
During the proceedings, the court orally observed that the material presented by the petitioner appeared, at least at first glance, to fall within the realm of political criticism rather than constituting a direct violation of personality rights.
Chadha, a Rajya Sabha member and senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, has approached the High Court claiming that morphed videos, edited photographs and AI-created content using his likeness were being circulated on social media platforms without consent. The petition argues that such content could mislead the public and damage his personal and political reputation.
The case highlights growing legal concerns around the use of artificial intelligence tools to create realistic but misleading content involving public figures. Courts in India have increasingly been confronted with disputes involving deepfakes, digitally altered media and online impersonation amid rapid advances in AI technology.
While reserving orders on the interim application, the High Court did not pass any immediate directions regarding removal of the disputed content. The court is expected to decide whether temporary protection or restrictions are warranted pending further hearing of the matter.
The proceedings also reignite the broader debate around the balance between freedom of political expression and an individual’s right to control the commercial or misleading use of their image and identity in the digital sphere.
