Bombay HC Directs Meta, Google To Take Down Defamatory Content Against Union Minister Nitin Gadkari

The Bombay High Court on August 5 directed Meta, Google, and other intermediaries to remove allegedly defamatory and AI-generated deepfake content targeting Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. The court's interim relief came after hearing Gadkari's suit, with Justice Arif Doctor stating the material before it was "absolutely vile and abusive".

The court found the content targeting Gadkari and linking him to the Centre's E20 ethanol-blending program to be inappropriate for public platforms. Meta and Google confirmed they would remove the flagged material, and the court ruled that Gadkari can notify the intermediaries if he discovers additional defamatory AI-generated content in the future.

The court also suggested Meta and Google create a mechanism for addressing such complaints to avoid constant judicial intervention. The suit seeks permanent injunctions to remove manipulated videos, images, and AI-generated content falsely attributing personal responsibility to Gadkari regarding the E20 ethanol-blending policy.