Indian Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari To Sue Meta, X, Google Over alleged AI deepfakes

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MUMBAI: India's Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has sued Meta, X, Google and other technology companies, seeking $1.14 million in damages over alleged AI-generated deepfake and defamatory social media posts linking him to the country's E20 ethanol-blended fuel programme. 

The minister alleges the content falsely portrayed him as personally responsible for the policy and caused irreparable harm to his reputation.

The lawsuit, filed in the Bombay High Court, also alleges that some posts falsely claimed Gadkari and his family profited from the government's E20 initiative. Apart from Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, the suit names X Corp, Google and other entities as defendants.

The legal action comes as India's E20 fuel programme faces growing public scrutiny following viral social media posts alleging that petrol containing 20% ethanol damages vehicle engines and increases maintenance costs in vehicles designed for lower ethanol blends. The government has promoted E20 to reduce oil imports and lower emissions.

The case also highlights India's tightening oversight of social media platforms, with authorities increasingly requiring companies to remove harmful content and comply with government takedown orders.