Tabu takes legal action against AI-generated videos featuring her.
- The Delhi High Court granted Tabu an ex-parte ad-interim injunction protecting her name, image, voice and other personality attributes from unauthorised use, including via AI and deepfakes.
- More than 150 URLs across Google, Meta, X and Reddit have been ordered to be removed or disabled within 36 hours of receiving the court’s order.
- Tabu’s plea alleged AI-generated obscene content, fake booking accounts, unauthorised merchandise and fabricated statements attributed to her.
- The court ordered the removal of a fabricated statement within three days, calling its continued publication an “egregious act”.
- Platforms and domain providers have been directed to share basic subscriber information and IP logs to help identify those misusing Tabu’s identity.
From fake booking accounts to obscene artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content, Tabu’s identity was allegedly being misused across the internet. The actor has now secured major interim relief from the Delhi High Court, which has granted her an ex-parte ad-interim injunction protecting her name, image, voice and other personality attributes from unauthorised exploitation.
What the court ordered
More than 150 URLs carrying allegedly unauthorised and objectionable content involving the actor have also come under the scanner. The protection is not limited to her popular screen name. It also covers her real name, Tabassum Jamal Hashmi, along with her photographs, movie stills, voice recordings, signatures and other recognisable aspects of her identity.
The allegations in Tabu’s plea
Certain clips from her films, interviews and public appearances were allegedly edited, slowed down or zoomed in to sensationalise intimate portions and generate traffic. According to the plea, Tabu had no association with the account and had never authorised anyone behind it to arrange bookings on her behalf.
Unauthorised merchandise featuring her photographs, including mugs, posters, calendars, hoodies and sweatshirts, was also brought to the court’s attention. Another serious allegation involved a fabricated statement attributed to Tabu. Despite her team reportedly denying that she had ever made the remark, it allegedly continued to circulate online. The court called its continued publication an “egregious act” and ordered its removal within three days.
Tracing those responsible
Platforms and domain service providers have further been directed to share basic subscriber information and IP log details connected to certain accounts, potentially helping Tabu identify those allegedly exploiting her identity. The interim injunction will operate until the next date of hearing, subject to further orders of the court. The order does not finally decide the allegations in the suit; the directions are interim protections granted after the court found a prima facie case and the likelihood of irreparable harm.
Why this matters
Tabu’s case is part of a growing wave of personality-rights disputes in India, as celebrities, politicians and public figures grapple with the ease with which AI can clone voices, swap faces and generate convincing but entirely fake content. Courts have increasingly recognised that a person’s name, image and likeness are valuable assets that deserve legal protection, especially when technology makes it trivial to impersonate someone at scale. For actors like Tabu, whose work depends on public trust and a carefully managed image, such misuse can cause real reputational and financial damage.