325/69 Wednesday, June 17, 2026
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the seizure of the domains CFAKE[.]com and SOCFAKE[.]com, which were used to distribute pornographic images and videos created using artificial intelligence or deepfake technology without the consent of the individuals depicted. This marks the first public domain seizure enforcement action under the TAKE IT DOWN Act. Individuals affected by the websites included globally known figures, such as politicians, the First Lady, members of royal families, journalists, athletes, and actors from several countries. The operation represents a significant legal development in the fight against the misuse of technology for harassment and illegal exploitation.
The domain seizures resulted from a coordinated operation involving international law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the French National Police and the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office, as well as Italy’s cyber police. The investigation began in October last year and led to the arrest of a suspect in Nice, France, along with the seizure of related cryptocurrency. Both websites now display official seizure notices. The threat posed by deepfakes is not limited to the creation of pornographic content. Threat actors also use deepfake technology for impersonation scams, phishing attacks, and other forms of fraud that can cause widespread harm.
The TAKE IT DOWN Act makes it a crime to publish non-consensual sexually explicit altered images and requires online platforms to remove such content within 48 hours after receiving a complaint from a victim. General users should exercise greater caution when consuming online content and use judgment when verifying the sources of images and videos. If they encounter content that appears to use deepfake technology to violate another person’s rights or conduct fraud, they should immediately report it to the platform provider. For organizational administrators and online platform providers, they should prepare by establishing strict content moderation policies and implementing processes to receive reports and remove rights-violating content quickly.