YouTube has removed hundreds of Bollywood stars’ manipulated videos after a Reuters investigation found channels were using actors’ images in false romantic or provocative videos, according to Reuters. The deletions came after reporting how one channel, “AI Bollywood Ishq,” had posted 259 of such videos and accounted for more than 16 million views on similar channels.
The majority of the videos featured manipulated photos of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in hypothetical scenarios. YouTube clarified that the channel singled out for violating its guidelines was taken down by its creator and reasserted its guidelines against abusive or misleading manipulation. The company went on to clarify that it removes content that violates its rules.
The Bachchans have sued New Delhi courts in efforts to limit the production and sharing of the manipulated content and to push for stronger platform guardrails. In their court filings, they also question how such videos might be used in broad technology training, Reuters reports.
While many of the clips are gone, similar content is still available on the web, and the court rulings can determine how personality rights function in India’s internet sphere. The couple are also seeking damages as part of their complaints and asking the court to give them broader protection against unauthorized use of their images.
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