Tabu has received interim protection from the Delhi High Court after seeking action against the unauthorised use of her identity in obscene and AI-generated content online
Published: August 10, 2026, 5:20 PM IST
Share Article
https://www.india.com/entertainment/delhi-high-court-orders-removal-of-tabu-ai-generated-obscene-content-from-social-media-8498108/
Tabu approaches court seeking protection of her personality rights (PC: Instagram)
The growing misuse of artificial intelligence to create fake and misleading content has become a serious concern for celebrities, and Bollywood actress Tabu has now taken the legal route to protect her identityThe Maqbool and Andhadhun star approached the Delhi High Court after allegedly finding her name, image and other personal attributes being used without her consent onlineThe matter has now led to an important interim order, with the court directing platforms to remove objectionable content linked to the actressThe case also highlights a larger question about how quickly such content can be stopped once it appears online.
Delhi High Court orders removal of obscene content targeting Tabu
The Delhi High Court has granted interim relief to Tabu in her plea seeking protection of her personality and publicity rightsJustice Jyoti Singh directed online platforms to remove obscene and pornographic content that allegedly uses the actress’ name, image, and more without her permissionShe granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction in a suit filed by the actor, who claimed that her identity and persona were being commercially exploited online without her consent.
The court’s direction covers specific URLs and online material identified in the caseReports state that more than 150 URLs were flagged for allegedly misusing Tabu’s identityThe actress had approached the court seeking action against the unauthorised exploitation of her identity across digital platforms.
“In the order passed on August 6, Justice Jyoti Singh has directed hte intermediaries such as Meta (Facebook, Instagram), Google, X, Reddit, ebay and GoDaddy to take down the webpages found infringing Tabu’s personality rights within a period of 36 hours”, according to Bar & Bench report.
Tabu approaches court seeking protection of her personality rights
Actress Tabu approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of her personality rights against the misuse of her name, image, and identityHer plea raised concerns over the creation and circulation of AI-generated obscene content, featuring her likeness without consentThe matter highlights growing concerns around deepfakes and the misuse of artificial intelligence to impersonate public figures.
The court observed, “Plaintiff (Tabu) is a world renowned and critically acclaimed and a celebrated actress, who has left a mark in the film industry, both in India and internationally, with her stellar performances over three decadesThere is no gainsaying that Plaintiff’s name and moniker/stage name ‘Tabu’ and her image, voice, likeness and other attributes of her personality have acquired unique distinctiveness and are associated with her instantly by members of public.”
Tabu sought legal safeguards to prevent unauthorised exploitation of her identity and reputationThe court’s intervention underscores the need to protect individuals from emerging forms of digital abuse and identity misuse.
Senior Advocate Swathi Sukumar with advocates Rohan Talwar, Deeksha Jani, Preksha Diwakar, Anirudh Bhatia, Jinay Jain, Rishika Aggarwal, Ritik Raghuwanshi and Anshu Tulsyan represented Tabu.
Tabu seeks protection against AI-generated content
Tabu’s plea is not limited to conventional online misuseHer case also raises concerns over content created using artificial intelligence, including digital impersonation and manipulated material.
The actress has sought protection against the unauthorised use of her name, photographs, image, likeness and other aspects of her identityHer plea also reportedly covers AI-generated material and fake digital representations that could falsely suggest her involvement in content or promotions.
The issue has become increasingly relevant as AI tools make it easier to create realistic-looking images and videos of public figures without their knowledge or consentFor celebrities, such material can potentially affect both their reputation and the commercial value attached to their identity.
During an earlier hearing on August 6, the court had indicated that the objectionable links would have to be taken downThe matter is now set for further hearing on December 7.
