Bombay HC Orders Takedown Of Samantha Ruth Prabhu Deepfakes, Objectionable Content Using Her Identity

Mumbai, October 1, 2026 - The Bombay High Court has ordered Google, Meta Platforms, and other online platforms to remove objectionable content that uses the identity of actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu. The court's interim order was issued during a hearing of a lawsuit filed by Prabhu to protect her personality and publicity rights.

The judge, Justice Madhav Jamdar, noted that the material before the court, including AI-generated deepfakes and morphed images, appears to violate Prabhu's rights. The court recognized that Prabhu's personality and publicity rights are protected under the Constitution's Articles 19(1)(a) and 21, and her moral rights as a performer are safeguarded under Section 38B of the Copyright Act.

The lawsuit names 18 defendants, including major technology companies, social media platforms, AI developers, and government authorities. Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, as well as Google, Amazon, and various AI and digital platforms, have been named as parties. The court also included unidentified individuals as John Doe defendants.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) have been named respondents to ensure the court's directions are implemented and enforced. Prabhu's lawyer argued that her identity was being exploited on numerous websites, social media sites, pornographic portals, and AI services.

The lawyer pointed out that her photos were being altered and used in explicit videos, images, and audio clips created through artificial intelligence. The judge, after hearing arguments and evidence, granted provisional relief to Prabhu and directed the removal of the identified illicit content. The court also highlighted the duties of online intermediaries under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

These rules require intermediaries to take reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized publication of content and online harassment. The order aims to prevent further dissemination of unauthorized material that improperly uses Prabhu's name, image, voice, or likeness.