Bollywood actor Tabu has received legal protection from the Delhi High Court after she reported that her identity was being misused online through artificial intelligence. The Court passed an order on August 6, 2026, directing major digital platforms to take down more than 150 URLs that contained unauthorised and objectionable content featuring the actor. The order covers misuse of her name, image, voice, and other personality attributes through AI, deepfakes, and face morphing technology.
Justice Jyoti Singh heard the petition filed by the actor, whose real name is Tabassum Jamal Hashmi. The Court granted an ex-parte interim injunction, which means the order was passed without hearing the other side first, because the judge found that Tabu had made a strong case for immediate protection.
What Tabu Told the Court About AI Misuse
Tabu approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of her personality and publicity rights. She told the Court that her identity was being commercially exploited online without her permission. The misuse included fake event-booking accounts, unauthorised merchandise, fabricated statements, and AI-generated obscene content.
A major concern raised by the actor was the circulation of AI-generated obscene images, videos and GIFs. According to her plaint, excerpts from her films, interviews and public appearances were being manipulated. Some movie scenes were allegedly edited, slowed down or zoomed in to focus on intimate portions. This material was then shared online to attract viewers and generate revenue.
The actor also complained about an online publication that carried a fabricated statement falsely attributed to her. She said she had never made that statement and her team had already issued clarifications to leading newspapers. However, the publication allegedly continued to carry the material.
Court Observes Tabu’s Identity Holds Unique Value
The Court observed that Tabu’s name, stage name ‘Tabu’, image, voice, likeness and other personality attributes have acquired unique distinctiveness. These are instantly associated with her by the public.
Justice Singh held that Tabu had made out a prima facie case for the grant of an injunction. The balance of convenience lay in her favour, and she was likely to suffer irreparable harm if interim protection was not granted.
The Court noted that personality rights have previously been recognised and protected by the Delhi High Court in cases including D.M. Entertainment v. Baby Gift House, Anil Kapoor v. Simply Life India and Jaikishan Kakubhai Saraf v. Peppy Store.
The Court observed that uploading and disseminating AI-generated videos containing deliberately edited content from movies, public appearances or interviews, with the objective of sensationalising the material and diverting traffic for monetary gains, was causing irreparable harm to Tabu’s goodwill, reputation and commercial value.
Digital Platforms Ordered to Remove Content
The Delhi High Court directed major digital platforms including Google, Meta, X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit to remove or disable access to a large number of URLs allegedly carrying unauthorised and objectionable content relating to Tabu.
The Court also ordered certain platforms and domain service providers to disclose Basic Subscriber Information and IP log details connected with the accounts or content.
Specific directions were issued to each platform. Google LLC was ordered to remove 21 URLs in one set, eight in another and five in a third set within 36 hours of receiving the order. Meta Platforms Inc. was directed to act against 73 URLs in Document-A, 28 URLs in Document-B and five URLs in Document-C within the same period.
What the Injunction Covers
The Court has restrained Defendants 1 to 7, including unidentified individuals referred to as John Does, from using, exploiting or misappropriating any attribute of Tabu’s personality or publicity rights without her consent or authorisation.
The protection covers:
- Her stage name ‘Tabu’
- Her real name Tabassum Jamal Hashmi
- Voice recordings and duplications
- Signatures and initials
- Images, photographs and movie stills
The injunction specifically covers misuse through AI, Generative AI, Machine Learning, deepfakes, face morphing and GIFs. The order applies to websites, mobile applications, social media, the Metaverse and other physical or virtual mediums.
Fake Instagram Account and Unauthorised Bookings
The actress also alleged that fake accounts were being used to offer bookings for her appearances and performances. She told the Court that she had no connection with one such Instagram account and had not authorised anyone to make bookings on her behalf. The account, which allegedly had around 2,000 followers, used Tabu’s name, photographs and videos in a way that could create a false impression of an association with her.
Court Calls Fabricated Statement an “Egregious Act”
Regarding the online publication that carried a fabricated statement attributed to Tabu, the Court termed it an “egregious act”. The judge observed that continuing to carry the material despite Tabu’s categorical denial was concerning and appeared intended to sensationalise the material and earn money.
The publisher has been restrained from circulating or disseminating the statement and has been directed to delete it from all its platforms within three days of receiving the order.
Growing Trend of Personality Rights Cases
Tabu’s case is part of a growing trend of celebrities approaching the Delhi High Court to protect their personality and publicity rights. With the rapid advancement of AI technology, several public figures have raised concerns about their identities being used without consent for commercial or misleading purposes.
In recent months, many high-profile personalities have sought court protection against the unauthorised use of their identity, likeness or AI-generated imitations. These include former cricketers Gautam Gambhir and Sunil Gavaskar, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, actors Arjun Kapoor, Allu Arjun, Nagarjuna, Varun Dhawan, Kajol, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Naga Chaitanya, singer Jubin Nautiyal, filmmaker Karan Johar, podcaster Raj Shamani, and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
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Next Hearing Scheduled for December 2026
The application seeking discovery and inspection has been issued notice, with the matter scheduled to come before the Court again on December 7, 2026. The Court has also ordered certain platforms to disclose basic subscriber information and IP log details to the plaintiff.
Tabu made her first credited appearance as a teenager in Dev Anand’s Hum Naujawan (1985) and had her first leading role in the Telugu film Coolie No. 1 (1991). She won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut for her performance in Vijaypath (1994) and received the National Film Award for Best Actress for Maachis (1996). Her other notable films include Border (1997), Biwi No.1 (1999), Hera Pheri (2000) and many others.
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