Preity Zinta secures court order against AI deepfakes violating personality rights

Bombay High Court Order Protects Preity Zinta from AI Deepfakes

The Bombay High Court has granted actor Preity Zinta an ad interim injunction against major tech platforms including Google, X, and Meta over the misuse of AI-generated content featuring her likeness2

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. Justice Madhav J. Jamdar directed these online platforms to take down or block access to roughly 275 infringing URLs within 72 hours, marking another significant legal battle against AI-generated misuse in India2

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. The ruling addresses deepfakes, chatbot personas, morphed images, and unauthorized merchandise that exploit the actress's name, image, and voice without consent.

Violation of Fundamental Rights Through Unauthorized AI-Generated Deepfakes

The Bombay High Court order explicitly stated that the misuse of such content affects a person's fundamental rights, establishing a critical legal precedent1

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. Justice Jamdar held that personality rights and publicity rights are protected under Article 19(1)(a), which guarantees freedom of speech and expression, and Article 21, which encompasses the right to life and dignity2

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. Senior Advocate Venkatesh Dhond presented evidence of AI-generated, morphed, and superimposed images and videos using the actor's likeness, with some content being "misleading, defamatory, explicit or otherwise objectionable"2

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IT Rules and Intermediary Responsibilities for AI-Generated Synthetic Media

The court reminded intermediaries of their due diligence obligations under the IT Rules, emphasizing their role in tackling fake videos and other unauthorized content1

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. "If the intermediaries start taking action, such type of offenders will stop. Otherwise, you are part of affecting fundamental rights of the citizens of this country," the bench stated1

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. The injunction also requires that if Google, X, or Meta receives written notice about new infringing content similar to what is already listed, they must act within 72 hours2

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Protecting Moral Rights Under Copyright Act 1957

The court found that Preity Zinta's suit presented evidence of deepfakes, AI voice simulations, and chatbot personas built in her likeness, all of which violated her moral rights under the Copyright Act, 19572

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. The ruling noted that Zinta, who has been associated with the film industry for over 25 years, had built a valuable public identity through her career1

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. The unauthorized use of her image, likeness, and mannerisms in AI-generated content could damage her reputation and violate her rights, the court observed1

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Broader Implications for Celebrity Protection Against Misuse of AI-Generated Content

Preity Zinta joins a growing list of public figures securing legal protection against unauthorized digital exploitation. Since 2023, numerous celebrities including Anil Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Jackie Shroff, Arijit Singh, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and most recently Varun Dhawan in June 2026, have obtained similar court orders2

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. An unnamed AI platform was specifically directed to add "Preity Zinta" and "Preity G Zinta" to its character-creation and search blocklists, preventing new AI characters from being built using her image and voice2

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. Domain name registrars were separately directed to disclose the identities of owners behind infringing domains within seven days of a written request2

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. This pattern signals an accelerating trend of legal battles against AI-generated misuse, with courts establishing clearer frameworks for protecting individuals from AI-generated synthetic media that threatens their reputation and constitutional rights.