The Delhi High Court announced plans to instruct social media and e-commerce platforms to eliminate online content that unlawfully exploits the name and images of former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir for profit. Justice Jyoti Singh, on a single-judge Bench, stated that orders would be given to tech giants like Meta and Google to delete objectionable links associated with Gambhir and disclose the identities behind such content. The court also provided safeguarding of Gambhir’s personality and publicity rights, ordering the removal of unauthorized posts and materials circulating online without his approval.
The court session highlighted Gambhir’s concerns that his name, voice, and photos were being misused for commercial gains without consent, utilizing technologies like artificial intelligence and deepfake tools. Meta, Google, and e-commerce platforms such as Amazon were directed to take down the offending URLs and posts that exploit Gambhir’s identity. Justice Singh mentioned that a comprehensive order would be issued, including instructions to reveal Basic Subscriber Information (BSI) of the entities responsible for the content.
Gambhir’s plea to the Commercial Division of the Delhi High Court raised issues of digital impersonation through AI-based face-swapping and voice-cloning tools. The lawsuit targets various defendants, including social media platforms and e-commerce sites, for aiding the dissemination of false content and unauthorized merchandise sales using Gambhir’s name and likeness. Gambhir emphasized the surge in misleading content on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, including viral deepfake videos falsely attributed to him, causing significant public attention.
The cricketer argued that such misuse not only deceives the public but also harms his reputation and professional standing, especially given his current role as the head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team. The plea seeks a permanent injunction against all defendants from using his identity without consent, along with a compensation claim of Rs 2.5 crore and demands for the removal of infringing content. This case involving Gambhir joins a series of prominent personalities seeking legal protection against unauthorized use of their identity before the Delhi High Court.
