The Delhi High Court has ordered Google LLC to promptly remove a fake YouTube channel that used news clippings, manipulated videos, and deepfake content to impersonate Anjana Om Kashyap, the well-known anchor and Managing Editor (Special Projects) of the Aaj Tak news channel.
The Court was hearing a suit filed by T.V. Today Network Limited, the parent company of Aaj Tak, along with Anjana Om Kashyap, who was impleaded as Plaintiff No. 2. They claimed that a YouTube channel named “@AnajanaomKashya” was fraudulently using her name, image, and fake content to appear authentic and linked to her.
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“The proliferation of fake YouTube pages of a well-known organisation or a personality could result in enormous damage and dissemination of misinformation as the same would lack editorial control,”
— Justice Prathiba M. Singh, Delhi High Court
Justice Singh observed that allowing such fake pages to remain online would not only violate Anjana’s personality rights, but could also mislead the public, especially in the realm of news broadcasting where responsibility and editorial accuracy are critical.
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According to the order, the fake channel’s deceptive identity was created simply by removing the letter ‘p’ from the anchor’s real name, thereby creating a lookalike account capable of confusing viewers. The Court noted that such impersonation, including the use of her image, name, and even voice, for commercial gains is illegal and contrary to law.
“Even if the content is original, the same cannot be permitted to be disseminated by anyone other than the Plaintiffs, who own the Broadcast Reproduction Rights,”
— Delhi High Court Order
Granting interim relief, the Court directed Google LLC to:
- Take down the impersonating YouTube channel within 48 hours.
- Disclose the Basic Subscriber Information (BSI) of the person behind the fake account within two weeks.
- Provide an account of any revenues earned by the impersonating channel within four weeks.
The Court further ruled that if any other YouTube pages are found misusing the identity of Anjana Om Kashyap, the URLs should be reported to Google, which must act within 72 hours to take them down. If Google objects, the reasons must be communicated, and the plaintiffs retain the right to seek relief again.
“The use of Plaintiff No.2’s full name, image, and voice for monetization by faking identity is not only misleading but also commercially exploitative and must be curbed,”
— Court Observation
The matter is scheduled for further hearing before the Roster Bench on August 11, 2025.
Title: T.V. TODAY NETWORK LIMITED v. GOOGLE LLC & ORS
