Delhi High Court orders takedown of deepfake content misusing Bhuvan Bam's personality rights

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed the removal of deepfake and other infringing content misusing the personality rights of Bhuvan Bam, issuing a John Doe order against unidentified entities as well as named platforms, according to Live Law.

The order was passed by Justice Jyoti Singh while hearing a suit filed by Bam against multiple parties, including unidentified defendants, social media intermediaries and e-commerce platforms. The matter relates to the alleged unauthorised use of his identity, likeness and associated attributes across digital platforms.

The court was informed that despite an earlier order in January safeguarding Bam’s personality rights, infringing material continued to circulate online. This included deepfake videos, unauthorised digital content and commercial listings featuring merchandise linked to his persona.

After reviewing the submissions, the court found sufficient grounds to grant interim relief, noting that the circumstances justified protection at this stage. It observed that failure to intervene could result in harm not only to the plaintiff but also to members of the public who may be misled by such content.

As part of its directions, the court ordered Google to remove specified YouTube links hosting the disputed content. It also instructed Flipkart and other online marketplaces to take down listings of allegedly infringing merchandise. Further, Spotify has been asked to remove certain playlists or shows, while Meta has been directed to take down content hosted on Instagram.

The court also noted that some defendants had raised objections on the grounds of parody and fair use. It indicated that these arguments would be examined at a later stage after hearing all concerned parties.