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Delhi High Court Weighs Ramdev’s Deepfake Claims as X and Meta Resist Broad Takedowns

The case tests how courts will separate deepfakes from protected satire on large platforms.

Overview

  • Baba Ramdev filed a suit seeking to restrain unauthorised use of his name, image, voice and likeness for commercial gain, alleging AI-generated deepfakes and doctored content including false endorsements.
  • Justice Jyoti Singh directed both sides to furnish a specific list of disputed links and posts and set the matter for further hearing on February 18.
  • X argued that political commentary, satire, fair comment and public speech are protected, reporting that it suspended 14 of 16 flagged accounts while leaving a parody handle and a renamed account active.
  • Meta said it disabled access to 3 of 18 URLs, identified 10 as news reports and described the remainder as satire, contending that global blocking or takedowns of reporting are unwarranted.
  • Platform counsel warned that indiscriminate removals in personality-rights cases could chill free speech and hinder fact-checks, as Ramdev’s counsel sought takedown of content he says is disparaging or misleading.