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Delhi High Court orders Meta and Google to remove deepfake videos of Rajat Sharma

Adgully • September 12, 2026

The Delhi High Court has issued a decree of permanent injunction directing Meta Platforms Inc. and Google LLC to take down multiple pages and YouTube channels circulating unauthorized deepfake videos of senior journalist and India TV Chairman Rajat Sharma. In her order, Justice Jyoti Singh mandated that the tech platforms acknowledge takedown requests within 24 hours and execute removal actions within 36 hours, granting Sharma and India TV liberty to approach the court directly if the intermediaries fail to comply.

The judgment stems from an intellectual property suit filed by Sharma and Independent News Service Pvt Ltd (India TV) against multiple entities—including pages like TAMARA DOC, Indian Medical Association, and The Hope of Your Joints, alongside YouTube channels The Indian News Today and Sone Chandi Ka Bhav. The court noted that the defendants improperly deployed generative AI tools to create doctored videos altering Sharma’s voice, image, and personality traits, while simultaneously infringing on registered India TV trademarks to spread medical and financial misinformation.

Highlighting Sharma’s 29-year legacy as host of Aap Ki Adalat and his 2015 Padma Bhushan recognition, the High Court established an ongoing enforcement mechanism to curb persistent digital infringement. Under the decree, the plaintiffs are authorized to directly notify Meta and Google’s legal teams of any newly discovered URLs or synthetic media exploiting Sharma’s persona or India TV's copyright. Upon receiving an affidavit detailing the violations, the platforms must act within the court-mandated 36-hour timeframe to remove the infringing content.

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The full story

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Delhi High Court Orders Removal of Deepfake Videos of Rajat Sharma The Delhi High Court has mandated the removal of deepfake videos featuring journalist Rajat Sharma from Meta and Google platforms. The ruling, issued on August 24, 2026, follows a lawsuit filed by Sharma and India TV, alleging unauthorized use of AI to manipulate his images and voice, infringing on his personality rights and India TV's trademarks. The court has ordered the tech companies to acknowledge removal requests within 24 hours and act on them within 36 hours. The defendants, including various online pages and YouTube channels, failed to respond to the lawsuit, leading to a permanent injunction against them. The court's decision aims to protect Sharma's reputation and prevent the spread of misinformation through doctored content. Sharma can flag any new infringing content directly to the platforms, which must act promptly. The case highlights the growing legal challenges surrounding AI-generated content and personality rights. 7 sources 42

Extracted Entities

Companies (9)

Google LLC Independent News Service Pvt Ltd Indian Medical Association India TV Sone Chandi Ka Bhav Tamara DOC The Hope Of Your Joints The Indian News Today YouTube

Countries (1)

India