Now Reading: Delhi HC flags personality rights overreach, warns on free speech
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Delhi HC flags personality rights overreach, warns on free speech
The Delhi High Court yesterday observed that the concept of personality rights is 'going out of hand' and cautioned against broad restrictions that could impact free speech. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani made…
The Story in Brief
The Delhi High Court yesterday observed that the concept of personality rights is 'going out of hand' and cautioned against broad restrictions that could impact free speech. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani made the remarks while hearing actor Janhvi Kapoor's plea seeking protection against unauthorised commercial exploitation of her name, image, and personality traits, including over 5,000 webpages with pornographic AI-generated content. The court declined a blanket takedown of fan pages, saying public figures must tolerate some scrutiny. It also directed Kapoor's counsel to submit a specific list of explicit content. Separately, on Wednesday, the court ordered removal of obscene content featuring her sister Khushi Kapoor in a similar plea. The next hearing is August 17.
The Indian Opinion
The narrative that celebrities are helpless victims of online abuse oversimplifies the issue. The court rightly noted that public figures must tolerate criticism. But equally, the claim that AI-generated content is harmless free speech ignores the real harm of non-consensual deepfakes. The key test is whether the content directly monetises the celebrity's persona. Will the court's August 17 hearing produce clearer guidelines for distinguishing legitimate fan expression from exploitative commerce?
Sources (3): inc42.com, timesnownews.com, hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
