NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Friday directed websites to pull down content misusing Isha Foundation chief Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev's name, image, or personality to sell products.
Counsel representing Sadhguru told a bench of Justice Shubhash Benarjee that Sadhguru's identity was being exploited to promote products fraudulently, prompting requests for takedown orders.
"My name is being exploited to sell products — one such example is the book 'Garbh Yatra' (on pregnancy), which features my image on its cover. People are blindly trusting these offerings because of my reputation, making this a clear case of fraud. These entities are leveraging AI to deceive the public," he argued.
The counsel representing Google submitted that affected parties must report specific URLs to intermediaries before any action can be taken.
After a brief hearing, the bench stated that it would issue an interim order on the matter soon.
Welcoming the court order, Isha Foundation posted on X, “These scams include fake AI-generated videos, morphed images depicting false events, such as Sadhguru's arrest, and misleading advertisements promoting financial investments. Isha Foundation has been proactively working to remove such fake content and prevent individuals from falling prey to these scams.”
In March this year, the Delhi high court directed the removal of videos and content published by a YouTuber against spiritual leader Sadhguru's Isha Foundation from online platforms.
While issuing the order, the court emphasised that reputation is an essential aspect of an individual's dignity. It also underscored the need to balance freedom of speech and expression with the right to reputation.
Counsel representing Sadhguru told a bench of Justice Shubhash Benarjee that Sadhguru's identity was being exploited to promote products fraudulently, prompting requests for takedown orders.
"My name is being exploited to sell products — one such example is the book 'Garbh Yatra' (on pregnancy), which features my image on its cover. People are blindly trusting these offerings because of my reputation, making this a clear case of fraud. These entities are leveraging AI to deceive the public," he argued.
The counsel representing Google submitted that affected parties must report specific URLs to intermediaries before any action can be taken.
After a brief hearing, the bench stated that it would issue an interim order on the matter soon.
Welcoming the court order, Isha Foundation posted on X, “These scams include fake AI-generated videos, morphed images depicting false events, such as Sadhguru's arrest, and misleading advertisements promoting financial investments. Isha Foundation has been proactively working to remove such fake content and prevent individuals from falling prey to these scams.”
In March this year, the Delhi high court directed the removal of videos and content published by a YouTuber against spiritual leader Sadhguru's Isha Foundation from online platforms.
While issuing the order, the court emphasised that reputation is an essential aspect of an individual's dignity. It also underscored the need to balance freedom of speech and expression with the right to reputation.
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