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Amidst the unbridled misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deepfake technology, the crisis over the privacy and security of Bollywood celebrities is continuously increasing. In this series, famous Bollywood actress Neha Sharma has issued a final legal warning in very strong words to the content creators and internet users active on social media. The actress has issued a detailed statement on her official social media handle making it clear that creating any kind of AI-generated photos, deepfake videos or digital clones using her face, voice or physical features without her explicit written consent is completely illegal. He has bluntly said that violation of a woman’s personal dignity and privacy in the name of freedom of expression will not be tolerated. From cyber experts from Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, to legal experts from Mumbai and Delhi, this strict step of Neha Sharma is being considered very important towards protecting personality rights in the digital era.
Neha Sharma expressed deep displeasure over the AI content created without permission being spread on social media platforms. The actress wrote in her official statement that for some time now it has been seen that many pages, YouTube channels and digital creators are morphing her pictures without any permission and creating and posting fake videos and pictures through generative AI tools.
Neha warned, “Creating AI content using my face or identity without my explicit consent is not art or entertainment, but a direct attack on my personal boundaries and privacy. This is not just a warning; if any person or handle is found involved in posting, promoting or selling such non-consensual content, my legal team will lodge an FIR with the cyber crime cell in collaboration with the concerned platforms and sue for huge damages.”
In recent months, incidents of celebrities’ faces being morphed into unwanted, objectionable or misleading videos have increased rapidly due to the easy availability of generative AI tools. Earlier, top actresses like Rashmika Mandanna, Alia Bhatt, Kajol and Katrina Kaif have also become victims of deepfake videos. Now the threat is not just limited to objectionable content but creators are creating digital avatars of actresses to sell misleading products or creating fake lifestyle vlogs to earn money from views, likes and advertisements. Neha Sharma clarified that the identity of any artist is his intellectual and personal property, which no internet user can exploit as per his wish.
Cyber law experts say that morphing a person’s face or making an AI video without his permission is a legally cognizable offence.
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Information Technology Act (IT Act): Capturing or publishing visuals that violate someone’s privacy without their consent is punishable under Section 66E. Under Section 66D, there is a provision of up to 3 years in jail and fine for committing fraud by stealing identity using computer resources. Under Section 67 and 67A, broadcasting any objectionable or morphed material comes under the category of non-bailable offence.
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Indian Judicial Code (BNS 2023): Under the new criminal laws, harming someone’s reputation by misuse of their identity becomes the basis for criminal defamation and stringent punishment for outraging the dignity of a woman.
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Personality Rights: The Delhi High Court has made it clear in several landmark judgments that the name, voice, face and style of celebrities come under their personal ‘personality rights’. Formal permission from the celebrity is mandatory for commercial or non-commercial use.
In the race to just make reels go viral on social media or garner a few thousand followers, youth often forget that unauthorized use of face-swap apps and AI generators can land them at the doorstep of cyber cells. Lawyers advise that:
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Do not create an AI model or avatar using the face of any celebrity, model or civilian without permission.
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If a user sees such a deepfake video on a public platform, report it immediately instead of liking or resharing it, as promoting malicious content can also amount to digital co-crime.
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Platforms—like Meta, YouTube, and X—are also under a legal obligation to remove content within 24 to 36 hours of receiving a complaint in such cases.
This candid warning by Neha Sharma is getting huge support from the film industry and her fans. Many fellow artists have agreed with his post and said that the development of technology should not come at the cost of human dignity. The demand for strict regulatory rules and watermarking guidelines on the unlimited powers of AI in the digital space has now intensified. This legal stance of Neha Sharma gives the message that no matter how modern the technology becomes, the basic principle of one’s consent can never become outdated.