Delhi HC Orders Takedown of Fake YouTube Channel Impersonating Anjana Om Kashyap [Read Order]

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has issued a significant order directing Google LLC to take down a fake YouTube channel that was using deepfake impersonations, news clippings, and videos of prominent news anchor Anjana Om Kashyap without authorization.

Justice Prathiba M. Singh delivered the order on June 20, 2025, in a suit filed by T.V. Today Network Limited and Ms. Anjana Om Kashyap against Google LLC and others, emphasizing the protection of personality rights and the prevention of misinformation in digital media.

The court addressed the commercial suit involving T.V. Today Network Limited, a leading Indian media house engaged in television broadcasting, digital media, and journalistic content creation, running various news channels including Aaj Tak, India Today, and Good News Today.

Ms. Anjana Om Kashyap, who has served as Managing Editor (Special Projects) in the plaintiff company since 2012, operates an official YouTube channel named ‘@AnjanaomKashyap-AOK’ with approximately 39,300 subscribers. However, an unknown person had created a fraudulent channel under the name ‘@AnajanaomKashya’ using her photograph and fake videos.

The court observed, “A perusal of the YouTube pages would show that there is clearly a difference between the YouTube page of the Plaintiff and that of Defendant No. 2. Considering the identity of Defendant No. 2 with the missing ‘P’ in the word ‘Kashyap’, it is clear that the same appears to be a fake YouTube page.”

Addressing the broader implications of such fake channels, the court stated, “Such fake YouTube pages or fake profiles being made using the Plaintiffs’ goodwill, reputation, and personality would be contrary to law. 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.”

The court further highlighted the responsibility of news broadcasters, stating, “Moreover, in the area of news broadcasting, responsibility has to be taken by the broadcaster and the anchor to ensure that incorrect or misleading news is not disseminated. If fake YouTube pages using the name and image of Plaintiff No. 2 are allowed to come up and be disseminated, the same would violate her personality rights.”

In its comprehensive directive, the court ordered: “Google LLC shall take down the impugned YouTube channel ‘@AnajanaomKashya’, which has been impugned in the present suit, within 48 hours.”

The court also mandated that “The Basic Subscriber Information (BSI) details of the person who has put up this channel shall be disclosed to the Plaintiff within two weeks” and directed Google LLC to “file an account of whatever revenues, if any, which may have been paid to this channel owner, within a period of four weeks.”

Emphasizing the commercial motive behind such impersonation, the court noted, “It is also common knowledge that YouTube pages are created for earning revenues and monetising the same. The use of the entire name of Plaintiff No. 2, with just the deletion of the letter ‘P’, as well as the image, voice, etc., for commercial gain is illegal and contrary to law.”

In a proactive step, the court also directed that if any further fake YouTube channels are identified, “the URL shall be supplied by Defendant No. 1, who shall take them down within 72 hours.”

Mr. Hrishikesh Barua and Mr. Utkarsh Dwivedi, along with Mr. Alman Cleancy, Advocates, appeared for the plaintiffs, while Ms. Mamta R. Jha, Mr. Rohan Ahuja, Ms. Shrutima Ehersa, Mr. Rahul Choudhary, Ms. Himani Sachdeva, and Ms. Devanshi Raj, Advocates, appeared for the defendants.

Case Title: T.V. Today Network Limited & Anr. vs. Google LLC & Ors.

[Read Order]