NEW DELHI: In a stern directive addressing the misuse of social media and deepfake technology, the Delhi High Court on Friday ordered Meta Platforms to immediately remove an objectionable, morphed photograph showing a woman alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Presiding over the matter, the bench emphasized the gravity of the situation, noting that the case extends beyond an individual citizen to involve the country's Prime Minister. Highlighting the necessity for administrative accountability, the court remarked that it would ensure the Delhi Police approach such sensitive matters with utmost seriousness.

The High Court has also issued formal notices to Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders—identified as Saurav Das, Abhijit Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, and Ratna Singh—acting on a petition filed by the victim. According to the plea, the CJP leaders and their associates allegedly utilized artificial intelligence face-swapping tools to morph the woman's face onto a vulgar, compromising image with the Prime Minister following a protest at Jantar Mantar.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel stated that despite a formal First Information Report (FIR) being registered, no substantial headway had been made to arrest the perpetrators or scrub the viral deepfake links off the internet. The petitioner further informed the bench that she has been facing continuous threats to her life.

Taking cognizance of the safety concerns, the High Court directed the Delhi Police to provide comprehensive, round-the-clock protection to the woman and ordered that her residential address be kept confidential. Furthermore, the court instructed Meta to pull down the contentious content within 24 hours and directed the police to submit a detailed status report within a week.