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Report the post to the platform hosting it, choose the closest category—such as impersonation, manipulated media, privacy, or nonconsensual intimate imagery—and include the post URL and account name. The right route depends on what the deepfake depicts: the U.S. Take It Down Act provides a specific process for covered nonconsensual intimate images, not a general takedown right for every fake celebrity endorsement, voice clip, or parody.
First identify what kind of deepfake it is
Different platform rules and legal routes apply to different kinds of misuse. Decide which description fits before filing:
- Nonconsensual intimate image: A real, altered, or AI-generated intimate image shared without the depicted person’s consent. In the United States, this may qualify for the Take It Down Act process described below.
- Impersonation or fake endorsement: An account or post that presents itself as the celebrity, or falsely suggests the celebrity endorses a product, investment, or service. This may also be a scam; report the account or content under the platform’s impersonation or fraud rules where available.
- Misleading synthetic video, audio, or image: A manipulated clip or image that could mislead viewers. Look for a manipulated-media or AI-generated-content reporting category.
- Satire or commentary: A likeness used in an obviously fictional or critical context may be treated differently from deceptive impersonation. Describe the specific harm or policy concern rather than assuming every unauthorized use violates a platform rule.
How to prepare and submit a platform report
- Record the location. Save the post URL, account name, platform, and date you saw it. If safe and lawful, keep screenshots showing the post and surrounding context. This documentation can help you identify the content later; it does not guarantee removal.
- Open the platform’s reporting option. Use the report control on the post, video, or account, or the platform’s current help or support process if the in-app option does not fit.
- Choose the closest category. Select impersonation, manipulated or AI-generated media, privacy, nonconsensual intimate imagery, scam, or another category that matches the actual conduct. The labels and available remedies vary by service.
- Explain the issue specifically. Say that the image, video, or audio is AI-generated or manipulated if you know that; identify whose likeness is used; describe whether it impersonates the person, falsely endorses something, exposes intimate imagery, or otherwise violates a stated rule; and provide the content location.
- Use a separate privacy or legal process if needed. Some platforms handle privacy complaints and legal notices outside the ordinary post-report menu. Follow the platform’s current instructions and do not assume that filing a general report also files a privacy or legal complaint.
Reporting on TikTok and YouTube
TikTok
TikTok’s official guidance describes an in-app route for content believed to violate its Edited Media and AI-Generated Content policy: choose Report, then Misinformation, then Deepfakes, synthetic media, and manipulated media. TikTok also says it may act under other Community Guidelines, including rules against impersonation. The app’s labels or path may change, so check the current reporting menu if those options differ.
Source: TikTok Community Guidelines: Integrity and Authenticity.
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YouTube
For a video, YouTube Help says to open it, select More, choose Report, and select the reason that best fits. Privacy complaints have a separate process, and legal issues can be submitted through YouTube’s legal reporting flow. A report is reviewed; it does not automatically remove the video. YouTube says additional reports will not change the outcome if reviewers determine that the content does not violate its policies.
Sources: Report inappropriate videos, channels, and other content on YouTube; YouTube privacy guidelines; Legal removal requests.
Other platforms
For services not covered here, use the platform’s current help center and the reporting option on the content or account. Look for a category that matches the specific issue rather than reporting the same post under unrelated categories.
When the U.S. Take It Down Act applies
The Take It Down Act route is for covered nonconsensual intimate images, including real, digitally altered, and AI-generated images. It is not a blanket right to remove any unauthorized or misleading use of a celebrity’s face or voice. The Federal Trade Commission says covered platforms must provide a way to request removal and remove the image and known identical copies within 48 hours of a qualifying request.
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Submit the request through the platform’s designated process. If the platform has no process, its process is broken, or the image remains after 48 hours, the FTC says you can report the platform at TakeItDown.ftc.gov. That complaint concerns the platform’s compliance; it is separate from reporting the content to the platform or reporting a perpetrator to law enforcement.
The FTC’s guidance is U.S.-specific. The reviewed sources do not establish equivalent legal remedies or deadlines for other countries. Outside the United States, use the host platform’s process and consult local victim-support or legal resources.
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Source: FTC: Take It Down Act tools to remove explicit online images.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Options for intimate images and urgent threats
Adults: StopNCII
For eligible intimate images of an adult, StopNCII.org creates a digital fingerprint on the person’s device and shares the fingerprint—not the underlying image—with participating platforms so they can look for matches. It may help limit circulation on those services, but it does not guarantee removal everywhere and is not a general celebrity-impersonation service.
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For eligible intimate imagery involving a minor, FTC guidance points to NCMEC’s Take It Down service. NCMEC’s CyberTipline is another reporting route for images involving a child. Do not download, forward, or repost suspected child sexual abuse material to document it.
Blackmail, threats, or extortion
If someone is threatening or blackmailing the person depicted, the FTC recommends contacting local law enforcement or the FBI. The FBI’s online tip route is tips.fbi.gov. For a minor, the FTC also identifies NCMEC’s CyberTipline as a reporting option.
Source: FTC: What to do if you’re the target of a sextortion scam.
What to expect after reporting
A platform decides whether content violates its rules and what action to take. A report is not a guarantee of removal, and repeated or mass reports do not substitute for identifying a specific policy violation. Keep the report reference or confirmation if one is provided, and check the platform’s response or appeal instructions. For an intimate-image case covered by the U.S. law, use the FTC complaint route if the platform process is missing, broken, or does not meet the stated deadline.
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