New York Seizes 12 Deepfake Websites With 1,200 Victims
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office announced on Monday that it had seized twelve websites that hosted fake sexual images and videos of roughly 1,200 people. District Attorney Alvin Bragg said this is likely the largest such action ever carried out in the US.
Those affected were mostly celebrities and public figures, including actors, politicians, athletes, musicians, activists and social media influencers. The images were edited with AI so that victims' faces were placed into sexual scenes, often taken from existing pornographic films.
New York has had a law specifically criminalizing this kind of fake sexual imagery since 2023. In addition, the federal Take It Down Act allows authorities to remove such websites.
Bragg stressed that while most victims are celebrities, anyone can become a target of this kind of fake content, including in cases of domestic violence. He urged victims to contact the DA office's Cyber Crime Bureau.
Bragg did not say whether images of minors were found on the sites, citing an ongoing investigation. According to research by the American Sunlight Project, at least two of the seized sites also featured profiles of European and US politicians with fake videos attached.
This action follows several earlier steps against similar platforms: in June, the US Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security seized two comparable domains, and in May 2025 the well-known platform MrDeepfakes was taken offline following reporting by several media outlets.
WHY IT MATTERS
This case shows that fake sexual content has become an organized business reaching millions of views, one that can affect anyone, not just celebrities.
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW
- Report fake images right away If you find fake intimate images of yourself, contact the police or a reporting hotline. In New York, you can reach the DA office's Cyber Crime Bureau.
- Save evidence before reporting Take screenshots or save links before reporting a site. This helps you prove later where and when the content appeared.
- Use takedown requests on platforms Many platforms and the Take It Down Act let you request removal of fake intimate images. Ask directly on the website or through an official reporting channel.
- Limit public access to your photos Think about which of your photos are visible to everyone, since these can be used to create fakes. Set private photos to be visible only to friends.