New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has issued a directive to Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, to immediately remove all AI-generated deepfake videos of India TV Chairman Rajat Sharma. These videos, created using artificial intelligence technology, falsely portray Sharma endorsing spurious medicines for treating conditions like diabetes, prostatitis, and joint pain.
The court order came in response to a petition filed by Sharma, who argued that these deepfake videos not only infringe on his intellectual property rights but also pose a significant risk to public health by misleading viewers into purchasing potentially harmful products.
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In his petition, Sharma highlighted that the unauthorized use of his image and voice in these deepfake videos constitutes a severe misuse of his personality rights. He emphasized that his reputation as a journalist carries a high degree of trust and responsibility, making such misrepresentation particularly harmful.
The court also directed Meta to disclose the identities of the Facebook users who posted these deepfake videos. Furthermore, the Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology have been instructed to take necessary steps to block and suspend any websites, phone numbers, or social media accounts involved in the dissemination of such misleading content.
This court order sets an important precedent in addressing the growing concern of deepfake technology being used to spread misinformation and deceive the public.