Maharashtra HC Directs Social Media Platforms to Take Down AI-Generated Images of Shilpa Shetty
Court calls AI-morphed content “disturbing,” orders immediate takedown of URLs
Mumbai, Dec 27: The Bombay High Court on Friday directed social media platforms to immediately remove AI-generated and morphed images of Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty, describing the content as “extremely disturbing and shocking.”
The court observed that the images, created without the actor’s consent, amounted to a serious violation of her fundamental right to privacy and had the potential to cause irreparable harm to her reputation and dignity.
The directions were issued while hearing a petition filed by Shetty seeking protection of her personality and publicity rights. In her plea, the actor alleged that artificial intelligence tools were misused to clone her voice, facial features, and mannerisms to create morphed images, videos, and unauthorised merchandise circulating on digital platforms.
Taking note of the gravity of the issue, the High Court ordered the immediate takedown of all identified URLs hosting the objectionable content. The court also said it would examine the larger legal questions surrounding personality rights, privacy, and misuse of AI technology at a later stage.
