Bombay High Court Orders Removal of Deepfake Posts Targeting Nitin Gadkari

The Bombay High Court has directed Meta, Google, and other digital platforms to immediately remove deepfake videos and defamatory posts targeting Union Minister Nitin Gadkari over allegations related to E20 fuel. The court strongly criticised the circulation of AI-generated content linking the minister and his family to the fuel policy, describing such material as "extremely objectionable." It also stressed that online platforms should not allow content that harms an individual's reputation.

During the hearing, the court questioned whether social media companies have any mechanism to proactively remove such fake content without victims having to approach the judiciary. Gadkari recently informed the court that false allegations and deepfake videos claimed that his family had benefited from the E20 petrol policy. Seeking ₹11 crore in damages, he clarified that the ethanol-blending programme is implemented by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and that he has no personal involvement in it.