The Delhi High Court has intervened to protect Congress MP Shashi Tharoor from artificial intelligence-generated deepfake videos that falsely portrayed him praising Pakistan. The court issued an interim injunction safeguarding his personality rights and directed social media platforms X and Meta to remove the offending content. Additionally, the court sought details of the accounts responsible for uploading the fake videos.
Court's Interim Order
Justice Prathiba M. Singh, presiding over the case, passed the interim injunction on May 9, 2026, after Tharoor moved the court against the deepfake videos. The order restrains any further creation or dissemination of such content. The court also directed X and Meta to take down the videos immediately and provide information about the accounts that shared them.
Tharoor's Plea
Shashi Tharoor, a prominent Congress leader and author, argued that the deepfake videos were malicious and intended to damage his reputation. He emphasized that the videos could mislead the public and incite hatred against him. His counsel submitted that the misuse of AI technology to create such content violated his personality rights and right to privacy.
Broader Concerns Over AI Misuse
The case has sparked wider concerns about AI-driven political misinformation in India. Legal experts and activists have highlighted the growing threat of deepfakes in the run-up to elections. They call for stricter regulations to combat the misuse of AI for political propaganda.
Platform Compliance
X and Meta have been directed to comply with the court order and submit a compliance report within a week. The platforms are also expected to take proactive measures to prevent the spread of such deepfake content. This case marks a significant step in protecting public figures from AI-generated falsehoods.
