The game of fake copyright strikes on Instagram:Posts being backdated using the edit feature; two digital creators reached Delhi High Court

Meta’s copyright system is being misused to target creators who make original content on Instagram. Unknown individuals are using Facebook’s edit feature to backdate posts and then sending fake copyright strikes on the content of original creators. Against this scheme, two prominent digital creators, Pushkar Raj Thakur and Neeraj Joshi, have filed a commercial suit in the Delhi High Court. What allegations did the creators make in court? Financial educator Pushkar Raj Thakur and digital creator Neeraj Joshi have made serious allegations in separate petitions. They state that some unknown individuals are using fake copyright strikes as a weapon to harass original creators and threaten to shut down their accounts. Due to this system, there is a risk of their original content being deleted or their Instagram accounts being suspended/deleted. Questions raised on Meta’s automated system Creators argue that Meta’s automated copyright system operates without any in-depth investigation. This system takes action on strike complaints without verifying the video’s original creator, metadata, edit history, or actual publishing chronology (the correct upload time). Pushkar Raj Thakur stated that due to this fraudulent activity, dozens of his videos were removed, disabled, or restricted. Surprisingly, Meta refused to grant Thakur access to its ‘Rights Manager’ tool, even though fraudsters continuously used this very tool to send fake strikes against him. Court Order in Neeraj Joshi’s Case The case of digital creator Neeraj Joshi was heard on July 9 in Justice Jyoti Singh’s court. The court recorded Meta’s statement, in which the company said that if Joshi’s account has not yet been permanently closed, they will investigate the allegations and secure his verified Instagram account (@Neerajjoshi5014). Along with this, the court has directed Meta to provide Neeraj Joshi with the relevant Basic Subscriber Information (BSI) and IP logs within three weeks. This information can help identify the unknown individuals who are tampering with his account. Summons have been issued in the case, and the next hearing on Joshi’s interim injunction application will be on August 5. What happened in Pushkar Raj Thakur’s case? Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, while hearing Pushkar Raj Thakur’s petition on May 29, had asked Meta what steps it had taken or what measures it could take to prevent such misuse of its platform. Subsequently, on July 1, the matter came before Justice Anoop Jairam Bhambhani. During the hearing, Meta assured the court that Thakur’s videos would not be removed on the basis of copyright strikes until the next hearing. Additionally, his account would not be closed due to repeated copyright strikes. Meta also agreed that as soon as Thakur provides them with the URLs of the removed videos, they would restore those videos. The court recorded these assurances and scheduled the next hearing for July 17. Creators Demanded ?2 Crore Compensation from Meta Pushkar Raj Thakur has requested the court to prevent Meta from removing his original content based on such fake and backdated claims. He has also sought directions to the company to implement KYC (Know Your Customer) security measures, timestamp protection, metadata verification, and anti-manipulation protocols within the Rights Manager tool. Furthermore, Thakur has demanded approximately ?2 crore in damages from Meta and unknown fraudsters for the loss of his followers, missed monetization opportunities, loss of sponsorships, and damage to his commercial credibility. Such cases have raised concerns among digital creators, as copyright tools designed to protect original content are now being used to target creators themselves. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on this subject is also pending in the Delhi High Court. What is Meta’s Rights Manager and Copyright Strike