Remove materials infringing Salman’s personality rights: HC to social media platforms
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora said she will pass a detailed interim restraining order regarding other entities impleaded in the matter
The Delhi High Court on Thursday ordered social media intermediaries to remove, within three days, all material that infringes the personality rights of Bollywood actor Salman Khan, including any defamatory content.
A bench of justice Manmeet PS Arora issued the order while dealing with the actor’s petition seeking protection of his personality rights, after his lawyer Sandeep Sethi submitted that his client’s personality rights were being misused by various entities.
Considering the contention, the court pointed to its November 27 direction and asked social media companies to treat Khan’s suit as a complaint under Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 (IT Rules) and take necessary steps in three days.
To be sure, the high court on November 27 mandated that individuals must first approach social media platforms directly (intermediaries) under the IT Rules, 2021, to remove infringing or objectionable content (like deepfakes or personality right violations) before seeking court injunctions, establishing this as a statutory first step for urgent takedowns. The direction was issued while dealing with Bollywood actor Ajay Devgan’s suit seeking protection of his personality rights.
Also Read: Delhi HC begins suo motu oversight of remission, premature release of convicts
“Counsel for the plaintiff states that similar directions be issued to defendants 2, 3, 4 and 6 to treat the plaint as as a complaint as per the IT Rules. Counsel for the said defendants accepts notice. The said defendants are directed to treat the plaint as a complaint and to take steps in accordance with the rules in 3 days,” the court said in its order.
The bench observed that, as regards entities beyond social media platforms, such as e-commerce platforms marketing his merchandise, it would pass orders for the removal of all content that violates his personality rights.“I will pass the stay order qua others,” the bench remarked.
The matter would be next heard on May 18.
