Politics · India Bureau
Delhi High Court orders Meta to remove morphed photo of woman with PM
A Delhi High Court bench has directed Meta Platforms to immediately take down a doctored image involving a woman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The court noted the matter involves both an individual's privacy and the dignity of the nation's top elected official.
LSN India ·
Justice Girish Kathpalia of the Delhi High Court issued the directive during proceedings concerning a morphed photograph that had circulated on Meta's platforms without authorization. The bench emphasized the gravity of the situation, observing that the case extends beyond the privacy concerns of a single individual to encompass the reputation of the Prime Minister himself.
The court's intervention underscores growing judicial scrutiny of deepfake and doctored imagery on social media platforms operating in India. Such manipulated content has become an increasing concern, with courts recognizing the dual harm caused—both to the persons depicted and to public discourse more broadly.
Meta was instructed to comply with the removal order without delay. The ruling reflects the judiciary's stance on balancing free expression with the protection of individual dignity and national interests, particularly when public figures are involved in non-consensual, fabricated imagery.
The matter highlights ongoing tensions between social media platforms' content moderation policies and Indian courts' interpretation of privacy rights and defamation laws. Justice Kathpalia's observations suggest courts will take a stringent approach to such violations, particularly when they involve high-ranking government officials.