The Delhi High Court has directed social media intermediaries to take prompt action on a plea filed by the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Pawan Kalyan, seeking protection of his personality rights. Kalyan approached the Court alleging that various online platforms had allowed unauthorised content to circulate in ways that infringed his rights in his name, image and persona. He identified content such as artificially generated videos, impersonation and fake association material on major platforms including search engines, social media networks and e-commerce websites. Represented by senior counsel, he informed the Court that despite having written to the platforms under prior judicial directions, the responses were unsatisfactory and much of the allegedly infringing content remained accessible to the public.
During the hearing, the Court emphasised that under the established procedure, individuals seeking urgent removal of objectionable or infringing content must first approach the social media intermediaries themselves, following specified grievance-redressal mechanisms. It noted that previous cases involving protection of personality rights had clarified similar procedural requirements. The Court directed Kalyan to submit all URLs of online content that he believed violated his personality rights to the intermediaries within forty-eight hours. Once provided with those URLs, the intermediaries were ordered to treat the submissions as formal complaints under the relevant regulatory framework governing intermediaries’ responsibilities and to take appropriate action within one week. The Court explained that if the platforms had any reservations or objections to particular links or materials forwarded by Kalyan, they should communicate those back to him.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, who heard the matter, outlined these steps and subsequently listed the case for further hearing on a future fixed date. The direction to act within a short timeframe reflected the urgency attached to addressing alleged misuse of online platforms in ways that could harm an individual’s reputation or allow unauthorised exploitation of their identity. Kalyan’s plea sought broader relief to restrain various defendants — including unnamed online entities and individuals — from creating, circulating or monetising content that portrayed him without consent or falsely associated him with activities or communications he had not endorsed. The underlying principle in such personality rights cases is that a public figure’s name, likeness and other recognisable traits cannot be used for commercial or misleading purposes without authorisation, and misuse can diminish the individual’s control over their own persona.
The Court’s interim order forms part of an evolving judicial approach to protecting personality rights in the digital era, where social media and digital platforms have amplified both the reach and the potential misuse of individuals’ identities. Similar petitions have been filed by other public figures seeking protective relief for unauthorised use of their names, images and digital representations. In addressing Kalyan’s plea, the High Court reiterated the importance of the intermediary grievance mechanism and established that platforms must act expeditiously on properly lodged complaints. The ruling underscores judicial recognition that personality rights — commonly linked with the right to publicity — require effective remedy mechanisms when online content infringes on an individual’s control and commercial use of their own identity. The matter will be further heard on the scheduled date after the intermediaries’ responses and actions have been evaluated.
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