Delhi High Court Orders Meta, WhatsApp To Block Fake 'Purplle' Franchise Seeking ₹15 Lakhs From Public

The Delhi High Court on 15 September passed an interim injunction restraining an anonymous Facebook and WhatsApp operation from impersonating beauty and personal-care platform Purplle and soliciting Rs. 15 lakh from people through a fake franchise opportunity.

Justice Jyoti Singh passed the order in a suit filed by Manash Lifestyle Private Limited, which owns and operates Purplle, against the unidentified operators as well as Meta, WhatsApp, Reliance Jio and Truecaller.

The Bench observed that “it is prima facie evident that Defendant No. 1 is infringing the registered marks of the Plaintiff and also attempting to pass off its goods as those of the Plaintiff,” causing irreparable harm to Purplle's goodwill.

Purplle, an online beauty and wellness platform, told the Court that it had attained unicorn status at a valuation of roughly USD 1.1 billion.

It submitted that during routine online monitoring in August 2026, it discovered a Facebook advertisement circulating under the name “PURPLLE” and using its exact logo. The advertisement was titled “PURPLLE - 2026 FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY.”

The advertisement used real, unauthorised photographs of Purplle's retail stores and invited entrepreneurs to invest in a “growing beauty retail opportunity.” Purplle said it had never launched or authorised any franchise programme.

A WhatsApp Business account linked to the advertisement was also branded as “PURPLLE”. The account listed a “Purplle Store Franchise” in its catalogue for Rs. 15 lakh, with an original price of Rs. 30 lakh struck through to suggest a discount.

Purplle said it reported the advertisement on 22 August 2026 but received no effective action beyond an acknowledgment. It subsequently issued a public cautionary notice on its Facebook page at the end of August, warning people not to share personal or financial details with anyone claiming to offer a Purplle franchise.

The Court restrained the operators from running any purported franchise, dealership or business opportunity under the Purplle name or any deceptively similar variant. It also barred them from using Purplle's trademarks, logos, store photographs or other proprietary material on any platform.

It directed Meta to take down the offending Facebook post within 36 hours and disclose the account details to Purplle within four weeks and directed WhatsApp to suspend the linked account within 36 hours and disclose its registration and login details.

Further, the Bench directed Reliance Jio to block the associated mobile number alsp within 36 hours and provide the subscriber's KYC details. It also directed Truecaller to remove the false “Purplle Store” listing within 36 hours.

Lastly, the High Court directed the concerned platforms to file compliance affidavits within the time prescribed in the order.