Delhi High Court Shields Cricketer Abhishek Sharma from AI Deepfakes and Fake Merchandise

The Delhi High Court has granted interim protection to Indian cricketer Abhishek Sharma against the unauthorised use of his name, image and likeness. The court ordered social media accounts and online sellers to refrain from exploiting his personality through AI-generated content, deepfakes and unauthorised merchandise.

Justice Jyoti Singh, in an order passed on July 9, held that Mr. Sharma had established a prima facie case for protection of his personality and publicity rights. The court noted that the cricketer is a 'prominent player of the Indian National Team and is widely recognised as a rising and influential figure in international cricket also having attained the No. 1 position in ICC Men's T20 International rankings'.

Mr. Sharma had filed the suit against several defendants, including unidentified persons and multiple Facebook, Instagram and X accounts. The plea alleged that these accounts had been circulating AI-generated and morphed images depicting the cricketer in fabricated and obscene situations. Others allegedly spread false rumours through manipulated videos and captions. Additionally, the plaintiff claimed that several online merchants were selling T-shirts, jerseys, posters and photo frames carrying his name and likeness without authorisation.

The court's interim order restrains the defendants from using Mr. Sharma's name, image, or likeness for commercial purposes without his consent. It also directs social media platforms to remove any infringing content upon being notified by the cricketer's legal team.

This case is part of a broader trend of public figures seeking legal protection for their personality rights in India. Several other celebrities, including actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Salman Khan, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, journalist Sudhir Chaudhary and podcaster Raj Shamani, have previously approached the Delhi High Court for similar relief. The high court granted them interim protection as well.

More recently, the High Court also protected the personality rights of politician Shashi Tharoor, cricketer Gautam Gambhir and actors Sonakshi Sinha, Vivek Oberoi, Arun Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and Allu Arjun by granting interim relief. These orders reflect the judiciary's recognition of the growing threat posed by AI-generated fake content and unauthorised commercial exploitation of public figures' identities.