Preity Zinta gets Bombay High Court nod to file suit against Google, Meta Over AI Deepfakes

The Bombay High Court has allowed actor Preity Zinta to file a civil suit against Google LLC, Meta, and other entities over alleged AI-generated deepfake content, including manipulated images, videos, and chatbot personas that she claims violate her personality and publicity rights.

Justice Abhay Ahuja granted leave to the actor to institute the suit and disposed of the petition, according to legal submissions. The case pertains to alleged misuse of Zinta’s name, image, and likeness through AI tools on digital platforms.

Zinta, through her counsel, argued that the circulating content amounts to infringement of her personality rights, copyright, and moral rights under the Copyright Act, 1957. The petition also sought a permanent injunction against the respondents to prevent further dissemination of such material.

The court was informed that the allegedly infringing content was being widely circulated across platforms, affecting the actor’s reputation and goodwill. It was also submitted that while Zinta is based in Mumbai and works primarily in the city, the content is accessible globally.

After reviewing the submissions and the proposed plaint, the court held that leave under Clause XII of the Letters Patent was justified and granted permission to proceed with the case.

The order clears the way for Zinta to formally pursue legal action in the Bombay High Court against the tech platforms over AI-driven misuse of her identity.