High Court
Havas speaks EU fluently as Brussels taps It for five year mandate
MUMBAI: When Europe needs to explain itself, it’s turning to a familiar accent. Havas has been selected under the new Framework Contract of the European Commission, securing a five-year mandate to support strategic communication assignments for EU institutions across Member States and beyond.
The appointment positions Havas as the only France-based European communications group chosen under the framework, reinforcing its standing as a go-to player for pan-European institutional communication. The contract builds on previous mandates handled by the group for the Commission and underlines its growing influence at a continental level.
At a time when Europe’s message must travel across borders, cultures and political climates, the brief is as much about nuance as scale. Havas will deliver an integrated model coordinated by its Paris teams, combining Europe-wide strategic coherence with local execution through its network of agencies across the EU. The aim: to make European initiatives more relatable, intelligible and relevant to citizens in their everyday lives.
Havas Paris CEO Julien Carette said Europe’s diversity demands communication that connects institutions with people, not just policies with paperwork. The group’s approach, he noted, is rooted in translating complex ideas into clear narratives that resonate locally while aligning centrally.
The mandate will see Havas supporting communication around major European public policies spanning employment, justice, health, defence and economic and social transition, alongside issues such as civil liberties, shared values and the rule of law. In a fragmented media environment marked by misinformation and scepticism, the focus will be on clarity, pedagogy and dialogue grounded in facts.
Havas’ integrated structure is central to the win. Its H/Advisors platform will play a key role in reputation, influence and public diplomacy, while the group’s Converged.AI strategy brings advisory, creative and media teams together to deliver measurable outcomes. Havas Creative Europe CEO Raphaël de Andréis said institutions increasingly seek partners who can turn complexity into accessible storytelling, a space where Havas believes it has a competitive edge.
The contract also highlights Havas’ European DNA. Headquartered in Paris, listed in Amsterdam and embedded across the continent’s economic and cultural ecosystems, the group positions itself as European by both culture and structure capable of operating at scale while remaining sensitive to national realities.
Havas Group, chairman of H/Advisors and executive vice president Stéphane Fouks described the mandate as a responsibility as much as a recognition, one that reflects Europe’s values of dialogue, democracy and openness at a time when competing governance models are gaining ground.
For Havas, the Brussels nod is more than a contract win. It is a signal of trust from one of the world’s most complex institutions and a reminder that in Europe’s crowded conversation, choosing the right voice still matters.
High Court
Bombay High Court questions AI celebrity deepfakes in Shilpa Shetty case
Justice questions legality of unconsented AI personas, platforms directed to respond.
MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court just put AI on the witness stand because when a chatbot starts chatting as Shilpa Shetty without asking, even the bench wants to know who gave permission. The Bombay High Court on Wednesday expressed serious concerns over the legality of artificial intelligence tools that simulate celebrity personalities without consent, during a personality rights suit filed by actor Shilpa Shetty.
Justice Sharmila Deshmukh, hearing the matter, questioned platforms that allow users to interact with AI-generated versions of actors without authorisation. The court noted that one accused AI chatbot website continued using Shetty’s personality without permission, prompting the judge to ask about the legal basis for such operations.
When the lawyer for the AI company argued that the system relied on algorithms and did not require celebrity consent, Justice Deshmukh challenged the platform’s right to recreate and make public a person’s identity in this manner. She observed that while users uploading photographs raised one set of issues, AI systems generating content based on recognised personalities posed distinct legal and ethical questions especially when the platform itself acknowledged the content was not real.
The court directed the platform to file a detailed response explaining its position.
The case involves Shetty seeking restrictions on more than 30 platforms including e-commerce websites and AI services accused of hosting or enabling misuse of her image and circulation of deepfake content.
The Bench also raised concerns about Youtube commentary videos discussing the ongoing proceedings involving Shetty and her husband, questioning whether unverified discussions could malign parties without journalistic checks.
Counsel for Google, Tenor and the AI entity informed the court that flagged infringing URLs had been removed. Shetty’s team disputed this, leading the court to allow her to file an application alleging non-compliance if links remained active.
Tenor objected to the broad injunction sought, arguing it functions as an intermediary GIF platform without capacity for proactive monitoring. The court directed Tenor to file an affidavit opposing the order.
E-commerce platforms including Amazon stated they had removed unauthorised listings using Shetty’s name and image, and would continue to act on specific notifications.
The court reiterated that directions for intermediaries would operate on a “take-down on notice” basis, requiring removal of infringing content once flagged.
As deepfakes blur the line between real and rendered, the Bombay High Court isn’t just hearing a case, it’s asking the bigger question: in the age of AI avatars, who really owns your face?
