In a landmark order, the Delhi High Court has granted interim relief to Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, barring anyone from using her name, image, likeness, or other personal traits without her permission. Justice Tejas Karia, while issuing the injunction, said that unauthorized use of her identity not only breaches her personality rights but also infringes on her privacy and dignity.
The ruling makes it clear that misuse through Artificial Intelligence, face morphing, deepfakes, or other digital tools will not be tolerated. Google has been asked to take down flagged links within 72 hours, while the IT Ministry has been told to block all such URLs within a week.
The Court explained that personality rights give every individual the power to control how their image, name, or likeness is used, including any commercial benefits that flow from them. Unauthorized exploitation, it said, both strips a person of control over their identity and undermines their right to live with dignity.
Justice Karia observed that using Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s persona without consent could mislead people into believing she had endorsed such content, thereby amounting to infringement. The case will now be taken up for further proceedings before the Joint Registrar on November 7, 2025, with a full hearing scheduled for January 15, 2026.
