Kriti Sanon gets Delhi HC protection against AI-generated explicit images

The Delhi High Court has protected actor Kriti Sanon's personality rights, restraining third parties from using AI-generated deepfakes, sexually explicit content, chatbots and synthetic voice models to impersonate her. The court also directed online platforms to remove infringing material

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has restrained third parties from infringing actor Kriti Sanon’s personality rights by posting AI-generated content online, including morphed and sexually explicit images, videos and audio, as well as impersonating her through chatbots or voice models.

Directing online platforms to remove the infringing content, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav said the material in question not only appropriated the commercial value of the actor’s identity but also affronted her dignity.

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The court also restrained an online seller from selling merchandise bearing attributes of Sanon’s persona, noting that some of its products were allegedly using images from her personal life.

Justice Kaurav passed the interim order on October 29 on a lawsuit filed by Sanon, alleging violations of her publicity and privacy rights by certain unknown persons, which could cause irreparable injury.

Her counsel argued that the misuse included the use of her name, image, likeness and voice to offer “bookings” for her appearances, sell merchandise, operate AI chatbots and synthetic voice models, generate images through prompts and create pornographic deepfakes.

It was stated that certain accounts on YouTube, Facebook, X and Pinterest were circulating her AI-generated and morphed images.

“Defendant nos. 1, 2, 4 to 6, 8, 9, 11, 13 to 17 and 20 (John Does) are restrained from uploading, hosting, generating or making available further material of a similar nature, namely: (i) material impersonating the plaintiff or falsely representing an association with her; (ii) sexually explicit, obscene or morphed images, videos or audio of the plaintiff, including AI-generated ones; (iii) chatbots or voice models presented as the plaintiff; and (iv) merchandise of the kind placed on record,” the court ordered.

The interim order clarified that there was no restraint on news, reviews, criticism, commentary, satire, parody, caricature or fan expression that did not fall within the infringing categories specified in its directions.

Several public figures, including actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Salman Khan and Kangana Ranaut, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, podcaster Raj Shamani, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and cricketer Abhishek Sharma, have previously approached the High Court seeking protection of their personality and publicity rights.

The High Court had granted them interim relief.