Delhi High Court Declines Urgent Hearing On PIL Seeking Ban On AI Platform DeepSeek

Delhi High Court Declines Urgent Hearing On PIL Seeking Ban On AI Platform DeepSeek

The Delhi High Court has declined to advance the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking to block the Chinese AI-powered platform, DeepSeek, in India. The Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, observed that if the platform poses a threat, users have the liberty to refrain from using it.

"Don't use it if it is so harmful. Is it compulsory for you to use it? There is no ground for seeking an urgent hearing," Justice Upadhyaya remarked while rejecting the plea for an early hearing.

The PIL raises concerns regarding the privacy and security risks associated with DeepSeek and requests guidelines to regulate access to such AI tools. On February 12, the Court had directed the Union government’s counsel to seek instructions on the matter. The case was scheduled for February 20 but was not heard due to time constraints, and the next hearing was set for April 16.

The petitioner then filed an application seeking priority listing, arguing that the issue was "sensitive." However, the Court dismissed the urgency, noting that similar AI platforms have been accessible in India for a long time.

"How is it sensitive? Such applications under different names have been available in India for years. It's not just DeepSeek," the Court observed.

In response to the petitioner’s counsel stating that while he may not use DeepSeek, it remains accessible to the public, the Court remarked, "Yes, it is available… So many things are available on the internet for the entire world to access."

Concluding the hearing, the Court ruled that the case does not warrant priority and rejected the application for an early hearing. "No case for early hearing is made out. The application is rejected," the Court ordered.