The matter came up before Justice Mini Pushkarna, who issued summons to social media platforms X and Meta Platforms, along with the Government of India, in response to the petition filed by the Thiruvananthapuram Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs. The court indicated that it would pass an interim order in favour of Tharoor.
Senior Advocate Amit Sibal, representing Tharoor, informed the court that unidentified individuals have repeatedly created and circulated manipulated videos using the MP’s face, voice, and other personal attributes. He argued that such content must be immediately removed as it severely damages Tharoor’s reputation as a patriot and as the head of a key parliamentary committee on external affairs.
He further submitted that media organisations including India Today and PTI had already publicly identified the videos as fake, yet public perception continued to be influenced by the misleading content. He also warned that such material could be exploited by foreign entities, posing risks to national interests.
Sibal highlighted that Tharoor’s reputation is being systematically harmed through these deepfake videos, despite prior takedown actions initiated under the Information Technology Rules and complaints lodged with law enforcement authorities. He stated that the content continues to resurface across digital platforms even after removal efforts.
Representing Meta Platforms, counsel informed the court that the offending content hosted on Instagram had already been made inaccessible earlier in the day.
In his petition, Tharoor stated that in or around March 2026, he became aware of a coordinated malicious campaign carried out by unknown perpetrators across multiple social media platforms. The campaign allegedly used advanced artificial intelligence tools to fabricate hyper-realistic audio-visual content depicting him making statements in support of Pakistan.
The plea asserted that the unauthorized use of his likeness, voice, vocabulary, and mannerisms amounted to a violation of his personality rights, publicity rights, and right to privacy. It further stated that artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies were deliberately weaponized to create convincing fabricated videos that misrepresented his identity.
The petition also emphasized that the timing of the campaign coincided with Tharoor’s active participation in the Kerala Legislative Assembly elections 2026 during March and early April, intensifying the impact of the disinformation. It described the campaign as a deliberate attempt to damage his patriotic image, manipulate voter perception, and interfere with the democratic electoral process.
The court was informed that several public figures, including actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Salman Khan, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, podcaster Raj Shamani, and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, have previously approached the Delhi High Court in similar matters seeking protection of their personality and publicity rights. In those cases, the court had granted interim relief.
The case underscores the escalating legal challenges posed by artificial intelligence driven misinformation and deepfake technology, particularly when used to target public figures and influence democratic processes.
Conclusion: The proceedings mark a significant judicial response to the growing misuse of artificial intelligence in digital defamation and highlight the urgent need for regulatory safeguards to protect individual identity, public trust, and electoral integrity.
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