Bombay High Court Orders Removal of AI-Generated Deepfakes of Shilpa Shetty
An Indian court ordered the removal of AI-generated deepfakes and morphed images of actor Shilpa Shetty from social media platforms and websites. The court found that AI tools were used to clone her voice and likeness without authorization, violating her privacy rights and personality rights, and directed immediate takedown of such content.
What happened
The Bombay High Court on December 26, 2025, directed social media platforms, AI-linked entities, and unknown persons to delete and remove links, posts, URLs, and websites carrying morphed and manipulated images and videos of actor Shilpa Shetty.
Shetty alleged that AI tools were used to clone her voice and mannerisms to create deepfake images, videos, books, and merchandise without her authorization, exposing her to ridicule and violating her privacy and personality rights.
Reported impact
Justice Advait M Sethna observed that the material was 'prima facie extremely disturbing' and that no person, especially a woman, can be portrayed in a manner affecting their fundamental right to privacy without knowledge or consent.
Shetty sought injunction orders to restrain defendants from using her name, voice, image, or likeness through AI-generated content and voice cloning, and claimed damages of Rs 5 lakh.
Index analysis
The court treated personality rights as a shield for women against privacy violations in the context of digital malignment and AI-generated content, finding that reconstructing a person's identity without consent violates their digital personhood.
The court stated that misuse of AI technology to violate a person's dignity without consent ought to be prevented and that such blatant violations should be 'nipped in the bud.'
Governance controls
The interim order was passed by a vacation bench on Shetty's application in a commercial intellectual property rights suit against alleged misuse of her personality rights and deepfake content.
The court clarified that while broader questions of personality and publicity rights would be decided by the regular court, the vacation court was duty-bound to protect rights under Article 21, encompassing the fundamental right of privacy and living with dignity.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.