Delhi High Court directs Google, Meta, X to act on Sunil Gavaskar identity misuse case
Published - 13 Dec 2025, 12:47 PM | Updated - 13 Dec 2025, 11:34 PM
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The Delhi High Court has taken a strong step to protect the rights of the legendary Indian cricketer and commentator Sunil Gavaskar. On Friday, December 12, the Delhi High Court directed social media platforms and intermediaries to take action within seven days after Sunil Gavaskar filed a plea seeking protection of his personality and publicity rights.
Recently, the former Indian captain approached the Delhi High Court after noticing that his name, images, likeness, and persona were being used without permission on social media platforms and e-commerce websites.
Sunil Gavaskar moves the Delhi High Court over unauthorized use of his name and images
Gavaskar just wanted to make sure that his personality rights are respected and that unauthorized use of his identity is stopped. The Delhi High Court recorded that the intermediaries would provide the Basic Subscriber Information (BSI) and IP details of the alleged infringers.
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The court then issued clear directions: Defendants 7, 10, and 11 (the intermediaries) must treat the plaint as a formal complaint and act on any content that violates his rights within a week. Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora emphasized that before going to court, plaintiffs should first approach the intermediaries directly.
The case is scheduled to be heard next on December 22. Gavaskar has been directed by the justice to submit the specific URLs of the infringing content he wants removed within 24 hours through his counsel, and the platforms like Google, Meta, and X must take action within seven days.
Delhi High Court asks platforms to act quickly on Sunil Gavaskar's complaint
The court also made it clear that if the intermediaries have any objections or doubts about the links submitted by Gavaskar, they should inform him promptly.
As reported by ANI, Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora stated, “Let them act on the complaint. I don't understand why parties are resisting it or why they are not availing that mechanism.”
The court noted that the grievance-redressal systems provided by intermediaries should “largely take care” of the issues raised by the plaintiff. Justice Arora added that the court would only step in to handle matters that remain unresolved. She explained, “The Court is then in a better position to adjudicate it, rather than shooting in the dark.”
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Court warns against AI Deepfakes and identity misuse in Sunil Gavaskar case
Senior Advocate Gopal Jain, representing Sunil Gavaskar, informed the court that the legendary batter has approached it to protect his personality and publicity rights. He explained that Gavaskar’s name and identity are being misused online through false content.
This includes fake statements wrongly linked to him, where he is shown as criticizing Gautam Gambhir and other cricketers, along with a fabricated comment related to Virat Kohli.
The court also addressed the growing misuse of technology, including AI deepfakes, voice cloning, fake visuals, and the sale of digital items using someone’s identity without permission. It said such acts harm a person’s publicity rights, dignity, and privacy.
At the same time, the Delhi High Court has also made it clear that genuine satire, creative work, news reporting, and commentary should not be restricted.
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