Bollywood actor Preity Zinta has secured permission from the Bombay High Court to move forward with legal proceedings against Google LLC, Meta-linked platforms and several other entities over alleged AI-generated deepfake content that she says misuses her identity and damages her reputation.
The Court granted Zinta leave under Clause XII of the Letters Patent, a procedural requirement that allows a case to be filed before the Bombay High Court even when parts of the dispute arise outside its territorial jurisdiction. The order paves the way for a full-fledged civil suit seeking injunctions, damages and other relief.
The actor alleges that a range of online content—including deepfake videos, digitally altered images, memes and AI chatbot personas—has been created and circulated using her likeness without authorization. According to her proposed claims, the material infringes her personality rights and copyright protections while also harming the goodwill she has built over decades in the entertainment industry.
Zinta argued that although the disputed content is distributed across global digital platforms, the impact is felt in Mumbai, where she primarily resides and conducts her professional activities. She maintained that her reputation and commercial interests are closely tied to the city, bringing the matter within the High Court’s jurisdiction.
The case also involves multiple respondents located outside Mumbai, with the alleged online violations occurring across various jurisdictions. For that reason, the actor sought the Court’s permission before formally instituting the suit.
After considering the submissions, Justice Abhay Ahuja allowed the request, enabling Zinta to proceed with the proposed action before the High Court.
The substantive lawsuit, which is expected to focus on the removal of the disputed content and claims for compensation, will now be taken up independently in subsequent proceedings.
