Delhi HC Orders Google, Meta & Amazon to Pull Down Deepfake Content Targeting Gambhir
The Delhi High Court has directed social media and e-commerce giants to remove online content that unauthorisedly exploits the name and image of Indian men’s cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir for commercial gain.
Justice Jyoti Singh said she will pass a detailed order asking Meta and Google to provide Basic Subscriber Information and pull down links flagged on Gambhir’s behalf. The court also noted that while several infringing links have already been removed, fresh instances and reposts continue to surface online, prompting Gambhir’s team to seek a dynamic injunction.
The suit names 16 defendants and documents fabricated videos using AI face-swapping and voice-cloning — including a fake resignation announcement that crossed 29 lakh views. Gambhir’s counsel Jai Anant Dehadrai told the court: “Imagine the head coach of the Indian team and words are being put in his mouth through deepfake to say he is resigning.”
Gambhir stated in his petition: “My identity — my name, my face, my voice — has been weaponised by anonymous accounts to spread misinformation and generate revenue at my expense.”
He is seeking Rs 2.5 crore in damages against entities misusing his identity for merchandise sales and AI-driven misinformation. His case joins a growing list of Indian celebrities — including Sunil Gavaskar, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Kajol — who have approached the Delhi HC over personality rights violations.