The Delhi High Court has warned that once objectionable or misleading material is uploaded online, it can be picked up by generative AI models regardless of its authenticity, creating lasting risks for the reputation of public figures.
The observation came from Justice Tejas Karia while hearing a plea by Telugu actor Akkineni Nagarjuna, who sought protection of his personality rights against the misuse of his identity in the digital space.
Interim Relief For Nagarjuna
The court granted ad-interim protection to the veteran actor, restraining several websites and platforms from using his name, image, or likeness in pornographic content, unauthorised merchandise, or AI-generated material.
Nagarjuna, who has acted in more than 95 films and won two national awards, alleged that his persona was being misappropriated for objectionable and misleading content. His counsel, Advocate Pravin Anand, highlighted the actor’s stature in Indian cinema and his massive online presence, with over six million followers on X and more than eight million on Facebook.
Court’s Directions
The bench directed that all URLs flagged in the petition must be taken down within 72 hours. It also ordered online sellers of unauthorised merchandise to provide subscriber details of those involved in exploiting Nagarjuna’s persona commercially.
“The misuse of celebrity attributes such as name, image, voice, or likeness without consent not only harms their economic interests but also undermines their dignity and goodwill. Depicting the plaintiff in misleading, derogatory, and inappropriate settings will inevitably dilute the goodwill and reputation associated with him,” the court observed.
Concerns Over AI & Online Misuse
Nagarjuna’s petition pointed to YouTube shorts and promotional videos using his name and hashtags to attract traffic. His legal team cautioned that such material could be fed into AI training models, multiplying the risk of misuse across platforms.
Justice Karia echoed this concern, stressing that misleading digital content could easily be replicated by AI systems, causing reputational damage long after the original material is removed.
Growing Judicial Push For Celebrity Rights
Recently, the Delhi High Court granted similar relief to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, restraining unauthorised use of their names, images, voices, and other attributes on digital platforms.
The matter has been posted for further hearing on January 23, 2026.
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