Delhi High Court Orders Meta Platforms Inc. to Disclose Copyright Tool Policies

The Delhi High Court ordered Meta Platforms Inc. to disclose the eligibility criteria and the basis for rejections regarding its Rights Manager tool, a free content-protection system for Facebook and Instagram. The order stems from a lawsuit filed by Mohit Kumar, an AI and e-commerce coach, who alleged that scammers used the tool to issue fraudulent copyright strikes against his original videos while Meta Platforms Inc. rejected his own applications for access without clear explanation.

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani noted that the issue has appeared in multiple cases, suggesting there are "loopholes" in the company's safeguards. He likened the current state of the tool's access to "giving the key to the robber and not to the owner of the house."

Meta Platforms Inc. informed the court that it has reversed the fraudulent strikes against Kumar and reinstated his content. The company agreed to submit its access policies to the court and re-examine Kumar's application following verification. The court scheduled a further hearing for September 24, where the matter will be joined with a connected case filed by creator Saurabh Maurya concerning the authority of platforms to suspend accounts based on copyright claims.