The Bombay High Court has stepped in to curb the circulation of AI-created deepfake images of actor Shilpa Shetty, issuing urgent directions to remove all online links hosting such material. The court described the content as deeply offensive and unacceptable at a preliminary level.

The order was passed after Shetty approached the court on an urgent basis, informing it that explicit deepfake images falsely portraying her had recently surfaced online. Her legal team highlighted that some of the material had been uploaded only days earlier, necessitating immediate judicial action to prevent further harm.

Appearing for the actor, advocate Sana Raees Khan presented examples of the allegedly morphed images circulating on social media platforms. The court, led by Justice Advait Sethna, noted that the visuals appeared disturbing at first glance and warranted swift intervention.

Khan argued that the circulation of such AI-generated content amounted to a serious violation of Shetty’s personal rights, including her right to privacy, dignity, and personal liberty as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. She also pointed out that the material infringed upon her moral and proprietary rights, causing reputational damage to a public figure with a significant online presence.

The court clarified that it was not, at this stage, deciding the broader legal question surrounding personality rights under copyright law. However, it made it clear that the nature of the content placed before it was alarming and could not be ignored.

Observing that no individual—especially a woman—can be depicted in such a manner without consent, the bench stressed that portraying someone through explicit deepfake imagery strikes at the core of their fundamental rights. The court said it was constitutionally obligated to safeguard the right to privacy and dignity of the individual concerned.

Agreeing that the continued availability of such material online could cause irreversible harm, the court ordered all concerned platforms and entities to remove the identified URLs immediately, stating that such content cannot be permitted to remain accessible in the interest of justice.