The Delhi High Court has issued notice on actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut’s plea seeking protection against allegedly obscene, pornographic and misleading content generated using artificial intelligence and circulated on social media. The court has also sought details of the people or entities against whom content-removal directions are being requested.
A bench led by Justice Vikas Mahajan issued notice on Ranaut’s petition and on her application seeking interim protection. Her lawyers told the court that objectionable posts had been repeatedly circulated against her, including material they alleged was created using AI. According to the submission reported by Live Hindustan – NCR, fact-checking had indicated that some of the images were not real photographs.
The hearing highlights a growing legal problem created by synthetic media: content can imitate a person’s appearance, voice or statements without the individual having created or authorised it. In Ranaut’s case, her lawyers objected not only to sexual and obscene graphic material but also to fabricated news reports and statements falsely attributed to her.
The court asked Ranaut’s lawyers to identify the respondents against whom an order to remove the material was being sought. The report said the petition was filed on Wednesday and that the court may pass an order on the interim application. Ranaut’s lawyers said they were not, at this stage, seeking interim relief against memes and other objectionable satirical material mentioned during the hearing.
The distinction is significant for the proceedings because the petition covers different types of online material, including alleged AI-generated sexual content, false statements and satire. The court’s immediate query concerns the parties who would be bound by any proposed removal order. The report does not state that a final ruling has been issued on the allegations or on the scope of any future directions.
The same court also issued summons in a separate personality-rights petition filed by Telugu actor Vijay Deverakonda. His senior counsel alleged that third parties were using aspects of his persona commercially without authorisation, including through the sale of merchandise associated with his identity. The petition also referred to AI-generated social-media posts, impersonation, false promotional material and abusive language.
The cases place Delhi’s constitutional court at the centre of an emerging dispute over how personality rights operate when digital tools make it easier to fabricate images, statements and endorsements. The immediate legal questions include who should be named in proceedings, what material can be identified for removal and how courts should distinguish unlawful impersonation from satire or commentary.
The report also noted that several other public figures, including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Salman Khan, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and cricketer Abhishek Sharma, have previously approached courts seeking protection for their personality and publicity rights. Ranaut’s matter is scheduled for its next hearing on 3 February 2027.
