Someone Made a Deepfake of Me — What to Do

Discovering that someone has created a fake, AI-generated image or video of you — especially an explicit one — is violating and frightening. Take a breath: this is increasingly illegal, the law now gives you real tools, and there are concrete steps you can take right now. None of this is your fault.

First: preserve evidence, do not spread it

Before anything disappears, document it. Take screenshots, save the exact URLs, note usernames, dates, and where it was posted. This record is what powers a takedown, a police report, and any lawsuit. Two cautions: do not share or forward the content yourself (even to warn people), and if the person depicted is under 18, do not download or save it — that would be child sexual abuse material. For a minor, report immediately to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline and to police.

Force a platform takedown

Under the federal TAKE IT DOWN Act (signed into law in 2025), covered online platforms must remove non-consensual intimate images — including AI deepfakes — within 48 hours of a valid request from the person depicted, and make reasonable efforts to remove copies. Use the site or app’s reporting tool for non-consensual intimate imagery, state clearly that it is you and that you did not consent, and keep a copy of your request. Free hash-matching services (such as StopNCII for adults, and NCMEC’s Take It Down for minors) can create a digital fingerprint of the image to help block it from being re-uploaded across participating platforms.

Report it to law enforcement

Creating or sharing non-consensual intimate images, including deepfakes, is now a federal crime under the TAKE IT DOWN Act, and most states also criminalize it. File a police report and bring your evidence. A report creates an official record, can trigger an investigation, and is often useful later for civil claims. If you know who did it, say so; if you do not, police and platforms may be able to help identify them.

Consider your civil options

Beyond the criminal side, you may be able to sue for money damages — through state non-consensual-image laws or common-law claims like defamation, false light, invasion of privacy, and misappropriation of your likeness. (A proposed federal civil law, the DEFIANCE Act, has passed the Senate but is not yet law.) A lawyer can help you weigh these and, if the poster is anonymous, pursue a “John Doe” suit to unmask them.

Protect yourself while you fight it

• Lock down your accounts and search your name/images to find other copies.
• Tell a trusted person; this is a crime committed against you, not a source of shame.
• Keep every record — takedown requests, police report numbers, platform responses.
• Seek support. Victim helplines for image-based abuse offer free, confidential help.

This is general information, not legal advice. Laws on deepfakes and non-consensual images are changing quickly and vary by state. For your situation, talk to a licensed attorney and, in an emergency, contact law enforcement.