Delhi HC orders swift removal of content violating Salman Khan’s personality rights

In a significant legal win for Bollywood icon Salman Khan, the Delhi High Court on Thursday directed social media intermediaries to remove all content violating the actor’s personality and publicity rights within three days. The court’s directive came after Salman filed a petition seeking protection from unauthorized commercial use of his name, voice, image and identity.

Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora instructed the platforms to treat Salman Khan’s plea as a formal complaint under the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules and act promptly as per regulations. The court also noted that a stay order will soon be issued to address violations occurring outside social media platforms.

Representing the actor, senior advocate Sandeep Sethi highlighted repeated misuse of Salman’s identity across digital platforms, fake news circulation, and misleading content. He further informed the court that a smartphone manufacturer has enabled the download of an app infringing on the actor’s rights. Instances of AI chatbots and e-commerce platforms misusing Salman’s persona were also presented.

Salman Khan now joins a growing list of Indian celebrities seeking legal safeguards over their publicity rights. Amitabh Bachchan was among the first to secure such protection in 2023, after facing widespread misuse of his name and likeness, including fake KBC lotteries and unauthorized merchandise. Playback singer Kumar Sanu also won a similar case this year, gaining protection over his voice, style, and image.

The court’s latest directive marks a crucial step in strengthening legal protections for celebrity identity in the digital era.