Delhi HC asks online platforms to act on Salman Khans plea against misuse of persona

The Delhi High Court on Thursday (December 11, 2025) directed several social media intermediaries to act within three days on Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s complaint alleging unauthorised commercial use of his name, images, persona and likeness on online platforms.

The veteran actor has approached the court seeking to safeguard his personality and publicity rights, alleging that his identity was being exploited by social media accounts and e-commerce platforms for commercial gain.

During the hearing, Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora asked the intermediaries to treat Mr Khan’s plaint as a formal complaint under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, and to take necessary steps within the stipulated period. The court added that if the platforms had reservations regarding any web-links provided by Khan, they must inform him.

The Court also indicated that it would pass stay orders against defendants found misusing Mr Khan’s name, photographs or other personality attributes to sell commercial merchandise.

At the outset, Justice Arora referred to earlier observations made by the court in an order dated November 27, 2025, in the Ajay Devgn case, noting the responsibility of complainants to first approach social media platforms under the statutory mechanism before approaching the court.

When the Court sought clarity regarding objections to a particular fan account. “What is your objection to the fan account? Please explain it,” Justice Arora asked.

Mr Khan’s counsel said the account was using the trademark “BeingInTouch” and featuring AI-generated images resembling the actor.

The Court noted that in previous cases, takedown directions at the ex parte stage (without hearing the other party) were generally issued where AI-generated images were obscene or where personality rights were used commercially. “In this case, this person has not used it in an inappropriate manner,” the Judge observed.

The matter comes amid a series of similar petitions filed by public personalities seeking protection of their publicity rights. 

Recently, actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan and Ajay Devgn, filmmaker Karan Johar, singer Kumar Sanu, Telugu actor Akkineni Nagarjuna, ‘Art of Living’ founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, journalist Sudhir Chaudhary and podcaster Raj Shamani secured interim relief from the high court on similar grounds. Telugu actor NTR Rao Junior has also moved the court, with the order on his plea awaited.