Salman Khan’s personality rights: Delhi HC orders removal of illegal social media content in 3 days

New Delhi: In a major legal boost for Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, the Delhi High Court on Thursday directed social media intermediaries to remove within three days all content, including fake news, violating the actor’s personality and publicity rights.

While approaching the High Court to protect his personality rights, Salman Khan demanded that his name, identity and voice should not be used commercially without his permission.

Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora directed social media intermediaries to treat the petition filed by actor Salman Khan as a complaint and act within three days as per the rules.

Salman Khan had filed a complaint under the Information and Technology (Intermediaries) Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules.

The court stated that it will soon issue a stay order regarding non-social media platforms violating the actor’s personality and publicity rights.

Sandeep Sethi, representing Salman Khan, informed the court about social media platforms that are consistently violating his personality rights, as well as the prevalence of fake news and misleading content.

Salman Khan’s lawyer also informed the court that a phone maker has allowed the download of an application that infringes on the actor’s rights.

He also cited AI chatbots and content on e-marketplace platforms that are inappropriately using Salman Khan’s name and persona.

Salman Khan is the latest to join a group of celebrities who have sought legal protection for their personality and publicity rights.

Superstar Amitabh Bachchan was among the early celebrities to seek such protection. In 2023, he won a favourable court order restricting individuals and entities from using his name, voice and image without permission.

The actor had filed a suit against the people conducting fake ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC)’ lottery scam, mobile application developers misusing his name, image and voice, book publishers, T-shirts vendors, and various other businesses.

It was also brought to the notice of the Delhi HC that infringers have illegally registered Bachchan’s name as web-domain names such as www.amitabhbachchan.com and www.amitabhbachchan.in.

In October this year, playback singer Kumar Sanu safeguarded his personality rights after a legal battle.

The singer took to his Instagram and shared a picture with his legal representative, advocate, Sana Raees Khan. In the picture, the singer donned a T-shirt which read, “Follow your own path”.

He also penned a long note in the caption, as he expressed his gratitude to his legal counsel for her “masterful arguments” that ensured the legal victory for him.

Sanu wrote, “I am deeply grateful to my advocate, Sana Raees Khan, for her powerful and masterful arguments that led to this significant victory in court. My heartfelt thanks to the Delhi High Court for recognising and upholding my Personality Rights”.

In October 2025, Kumar Sanu filed a petition before the Delhi HC seeking protection of his “personality and publicity rights”, which sought to cover his name, voice, vocal style and technique, mannerisms, images, caricatures, likeness and signature.

IANS