The Delhi High Court on 9 July 2025 said it will pass an interim order protecting the personality and publicity rights of cricketer Abhishek Sharma, who has approached the court seeking removal of allegedly unauthorised and objectionable content misusing his identity across digital platforms. The order is expected to direct the takedown of infringing links identified by Sharma's legal team.

What the Court Said

A single-judge bench of Justice Jyoti Singh issued summons in the suit and indicated that interim directions would be passed to remove and pull down the infringing URLs placed on record by the plaintiff. The matter has been listed for further hearing on 17 November.

Key Developments in the Case

Sharma's counsel informed the court that an additional affidavit had been filed listing URLs still hosting the allegedly infringing content. While several posts had already been removed following prior complaints, two posts on Facebook and Instagram — along with another containing abusive and profane content — remained accessible online as of the hearing date.

Separately, counsel flagged that listings on e-commerce platforms Amazon and Flipkart were commercially exploiting Sharma's likeness without his authorisation and sought their removal as well.

Responses from Meta and Amazon

Counsel appearing for Meta submitted that the two identified posts on Facebook and Instagram would be taken down. Amazon's counsel told the court that, subject to a judicial order, the platform would comply and remove the infringing URLs. No response from Flipkart was recorded in the proceedings.

A Growing Legal Trend

The Abhishek Sharma case is part of a rapidly expanding line of personality-rights litigation before the Delhi High Court. In recent months, a string of prominent public figures — including Gautam Gambhir (former cricketer and current head coach), former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, actors Arjun Kapoor, Allu Arjun, Nagarjuna, Varun Dhawan, Kajol, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Abhishek Bachchan, singer Jubin Nautiyal, filmmaker Karan Johar, podcaster Raj Shamani, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, and actor Ravi Kishan — have either secured or sought court protection against unauthorised use of their identity, likeness, or AI-generated imitations.

Notably, the surge in such cases tracks the proliferation of AI-generated deepfakes and unauthorised celebrity endorsements on social media and e-commerce platforms, raising broader questions about the adequacy of existing digital regulation in India. The Delhi High Court has emerged as the primary judicial forum for such relief, with no dedicated statutory framework for personality rights yet in place.

What Happens Next

With interim directions expected imminently, platforms and sellers hosting the flagged content will be required to act. The next substantive hearing on 17 November will determine the longer-term scope of protection granted to Sharma. Legal observers expect the court's eventual ruling to add to a body of precedent that could inform future legislation on digital identity protection in India.