Delhi High Court Orders Removal of AI-Generated Deepfakes of Journalist Sudhir Chaudhary
The Delhi High Court ordered the removal of AI-generated deepfake videos and voice clones of journalist Sudhir Chaudhary from social media platforms, finding that such misuse violates his personality rights. The court directed uploaders and platforms including Google and Meta to remove the infringing content within 48 hours.
What happened
Journalist and Doordarshan anchor Sudhir Chaudhary filed a petition alleging that social media accounts were using AI-generated videos and deepfakes of his voice and image for commercial purposes without his permission, attributing false statements to him.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora of the Delhi High Court granted interim relief on October 10, 2025, restraining YouTube channels and other social media platforms from using Chaudhary's name, image, likeness and voice.
Reported impact
The deepfake content reportedly caused reputational harm to Chaudhary by circulating misleading videos that falsely attributed statements to him on social media platforms.
Index analysis
The court's order establishes that deepfake misuse of a person's identity can violate their fundamental personality rights.
Governance controls
The court directed uploaders to remove infringing content within 48 hours of receiving notice, with responsibility escalating to Google and Meta to take down content if uploaders fail to comply.
The court ordered Chaudhary to serve notice on YouTube channels and permitted him to inform Google LLC and Meta Platforms about identical content, which must be taken down within 48 hours.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.