IN | Incident Report
Deepfake Crime
2025-12-26
Bombay High Court orders takedown of AI deepfakes in Shilpa Shetty personality-rights case
AI Model: Unspecified AI deepfake/voice-cloning tools
I. Executive Summary
Indian media reported that the Bombay High Court granted urgent interim relief to actor Shilpa Shetty, directing takedown of URLs and content alleged to be AI-generated deepfakes and morphed material. The order restrained dissemination of manipulated images/videos and related content said to infringe privacy, dignity, and reputation, including against unknown persons and platforms. The court characterized the content as prima facie disturbing and emphasized consent and privacy harms. The matter illustrates deepfake harms reaching injunctive litigation with platform compliance consequences.
II. Key Facts
- The plaintiff sought interim relief to stop circulation of AI-generated/morphed content using her likeness and attributes.
- The Bombay High Court issued interim directions to remove/disable URLs and restrain further dissemination.
- The order applied to named defendants and unknown persons (“John Doe”-style relief), per reporting.
- The court emphasized privacy, dignity, and reputational harm tied to non-consensual synthetic media.
III. Regulatory & Ethical Implications
Signals increasing judicial willingness to grant fast injunctive relief against synthetic-media harms and to impose proactive takedown obligations on platforms/intermediaries. For advisors and litigators, it elevates the need to develop evidentiary packages for synthetic-media attribution, URL mapping, and intermediary compliance workflows, while shaping the emerging doctrine around personality rights and AI-enabled impersonation.