Former Indian cricketer, Member of Parliament and current head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team Gautam Gambhir has been granted protection of his personality rights by the Delhi High Court.
The Supreme Court ordered the removal of all objectionable posts related to Gautam Gambhir on social media and internet platforms. The Delhi High Court also ordered Meta, Google and Amazon to remove the objectionable URLs.
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It was submitted on behalf of Gambhir that his name, voice and photograph are being exploited commercially without his consent. It was further claimed that technologies such as deepfakes and AI manipulation are being deliberately misused for this purpose.
Gambhir’s petition said that people are creating deeply fake videos and misusing his social media identity to increase views and likes. Fake AI-generated videos were also uploaded on websites and social media platforms claiming that Gambhir had resigned as the coach of the Indian cricket team. One such video garnered 2.9 million views in a short period of time. However, it was argued that it was a matter of dignity and reputation.
Gambhir had earlier said that he has more than 12 million followers and that several false, misleading and objectionable posts and messages are circulating about him, especially on X (formerly Twitter). He stressed the need to stop such content.
“My identity – my name, my face, my voice – has been misused by anonymous accounts to spread misinformation and generate revenue at my expense,” Gambhir said.
“This is not a matter of personal injury; it is a matter of law, dignity and protection that every public figure deserves in the age of artificial intelligence,” he added.
MORE DETAILS ON GAUTAM GAMBHIR CASE
Gambhir’s case has several instances of fabricated content gaining traction online, including a fake resignation video and another misleading clip about senior cricketers that has garnered more than 17,000 views.
The case was filed against 16 defendants, including social media accounts, e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart, intermediaries such as Meta, X and Google/YouTube, as well as government authorities. The petition invoked personality rights and provisions of key intellectual property rights and business laws.
Gambhir recently led India to the 2026 FIFA World Cup T20 title, making them the first team to successfully defend the trophy. India also won the Champions Trophy 2025 and Asia Cup 2025 during his tenure as head coach, underlining a very successful run.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
25 March 2026 16:17 IST
