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If someone has posted a fake intimate video of you, report it through the platform’s nonconsensual intimate imagery process and request removal under the federal TAKE IT DOWN Act. Since May 19, 2026, covered platforms must remove qualifying content and known identical copies within 48 hours after receiving a valid request. You can also report online publication to the FBI and complain to the FTC if a platform lacks the required process or fails to act. The federal law is limited: it does not make every fake, political, defamatory, or impersonating video illegal.
What can I report?
The right reporting route depends on what the video depicts and what happened. The TAKE IT DOWN Act, enacted May 19, 2025, covers certain nonconsensual intimate visual depictions, including qualifying digital forgeries. It is not a general federal remedy for every synthetic video.
When a deepfake may fall under the TAKE IT DOWN Act
A digital forgery under the Act must depict an identifiable individual in an intimate depiction and be made using software, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or other technological means. Viewed as a whole, it must be indistinguishable from an authentic depiction to a reasonable person. The criminal prohibition also has specific requirements concerning publication, consent, intent or harm, and other circumstances. Separate rules apply when the depicted person is a minor, and the Act includes exceptions for certain good-faith disclosures, including specified reporting, law-enforcement, legal-proceeding, medical, and support purposes.
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Those details matter: the fact that a video is AI-generated does not by itself establish a federal offense. A fake political clip, non-intimate impersonation, or reputationally damaging video may require analysis under other federal or state law. State protections and procedures vary, and the federal Act should not be treated as a universal remedy for all deepfakes.
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Consent to creation is not consent to sharing
The Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women explains that agreeing to have an image taken—or taking an intimate image yourself and sending it to someone—does not mean you agreed to have it shared with others. That distinction may matter both when you report a post and when you seek legal advice.
Can I get a deepfake video taken down?
For a qualifying intimate depiction, submit a removal request through the covered platform’s dedicated nonconsensual intimate imagery process. The TAKE IT DOWN Act requires covered platforms to make a request process available and, after a valid request, remove the covered image or video and known identical copies within 48 hours. The deadline applies to a valid request under the statutory process; it is not a guarantee that every repost, altered version, or derivative will be found and removed.
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- Use the platform’s reporting route. Find its nonconsensual intimate imagery or intimate-content reporting option, then follow its instructions for a TAKE IT DOWN Act removal request. Include the information the process asks for and retain the confirmation or case number.
- Complain to the FTC if the platform fails to comply. The FTC accepts complaints about platforms that have not established a removal-request process or have failed to act on valid requests. This is a complaint about the platform’s process or compliance, not a substitute for making the initial request.
- Report online publication to the FBI. The Department of Justice identifies the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and the FBI tip line, 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), for information about nonconsensually published intimate visual depictions online.
Removal requests, FTC complaints, and FBI reports serve different purposes. A report does not guarantee removal, prosecution, or a particular outcome. If you face threats, extortion, or immediate danger, prioritize safety and contact law enforcement or a qualified victim advocate.
What evidence should I save?
Keep a clear record of what you saw and what you did. The items below are practical recordkeeping suggestions, not a universal legal checklist or a forensic-preservation standard.
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- Record the platform, account or channel, post location, date and time you found it, and any visible post identifier. Preserve the original URL.
- Where safe and lawful, capture screenshots or a screen recording that show the post and enough surrounding context to identify it. Save any platform report number, confirmation, or response.
- Keep relevant messages, threats, demands, and communications with the person who posted the material or with the platform. Preserve dates and account identifiers.
- Write a brief timeline of when the content was found, shared, reported, removed, or changed. Note the names of people who saw it.
- Keep the original material unedited if it is already lawfully in your possession; do not publicly repost it to prove that it exists. If there is a risk of immediate harm, extortion, or threats, ask law enforcement or a qualified advocate how to handle evidence safely.
If the material may depict a minor in sexual conduct, do not download or forward it. Use official platform and law-enforcement reporting channels and follow their instructions. A lawyer or investigator can advise what additional preservation is appropriate for a specific case.
Could a federal civil claim apply?
The Department of Justice says a federal civil action may be available under a provision added by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022 for certain nonconsensual sharing of intimate images, including sharing online or through social media. Depending on the facts and statutory limits, potential relief can include an injunction, compensation for financial losses or statutory monetary relief, and attorney’s fees and costs. A plaintiff may ask to proceed under a pseudonym. Eligibility is fact-specific, and the provision has defined limits and good-faith exceptions; a qualified lawyer can assess whether it applies.
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What if the video is not intimate, or a platform does not help?
The TAKE IT DOWN Act’s removal process and criminal provisions are focused on qualifying intimate depictions, not every form of deepfake abuse. For a non-intimate fake, other legal options may exist depending on the conduct and applicable state law, but the federal Act alone does not establish a remedy. Because state rules differ and this overview does not cover each state’s statutes, consider speaking with a lawyer or victim-support organization about the facts and location involved.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Federal enforcement announcements also do not determine whether a particular post is illegal. On June 12, 2026, the Department of Justice announced domain seizures involving sites used to publish digitally forged nude images and videos of identifiable women. DOJ said a federal judge found probable cause to believe the domains were being used to commit federal criminal violations of the Act. The announcement is an enforcement example, not a finding that every deepfake post violates the law; criminal charges reported in enforcement announcements are allegations unless and until proven in court.
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