Delhi HC orders takedown of fake profiles, deepfakes using Vikas Divyakirti’s identity

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (September 29, 2026) directed social media platforms to remove several fake profiles, channels and deepfake videos allegedly misusing the name, image and identity of Drishti IAS founder Vikas Divyakirti.Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani passed the interim directions while hearing a suit filed by Mr. Divyakirti seeking protection against alleged unauthorised use of his identity online.Senior Advocate Diya Kapur, appearing for Mr. Divyakirti, alleged that his image had been used in deepfake videos, including one promoting a betting platform. She also submitted that portions of his lectures were being selectively edited and re-captioned to create an impression different from the original.The hearing also saw the court question Instagram’s feature that allows users to create a new reel using another person’s video. The judge said the issue required consideration.Meta’s counsel said he would examine the concerns raised by the court. He argued that intermediaries could not be expected to be responsible for every misuse of a platform feature and cautioned against requiring platforms to monitor all user activity.The court, however, kept open for further consideration the question whether editing or re-captioning lecture videos in a manner that allegedly alters their meaning would amount to infringement of copyright or personality rights.The court also heard arguments over the use of copyright strike mechanisms by social media platforms. It observed that a false copyright complaint could result in an immediate takedown, while the affected creator might have to undergo a longer process to have the content restored. Published - September 30, 2026 09:05 am IST