The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Friday that it has seized two websites, CFAKE.com and SOCFAKE.com, which allegedly hosted nonconsensual AI-generated nude images and videos of women. The seizure is a significant victory in the fight against deepfake pornography.
According to the DOJ, the sites shared sexually explicit digital images depicting politicians, celebrities, athletes, musicians, and even royalty from multiple countries. These images were created using artificial intelligence (AI) to make them appear as if they were real.
The TAKE IT DOWN Act, signed into law in May 2025, makes it a federal crime to publish sexually explicit altered images depicting identifiable individuals without their consent. The law requires online platforms to remove reported intimate images and deepfakes within 48 hours of receiving a valid request from a victim.
The investigation began after Italy’s Postal and Cybersecurity Police alerted US authorities to the websites. Italian authorities later obtained a court order blocking access to the websites within Italy while continuing their investigation.
The DOJ says evidence gathered by US law enforcement was shared with French authorities, who conducted an investigation that led to the arrest of a suspect in Nice, France, on June 10. The seizure of CFAKE.com and SOCFAKE.com appears to be the first publicly announced use of the law to target websites allegedly used to distribute deepfake pornography.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in Friday’s announcement, “These domain seizures mark a significant victory in the fight against deepfake pornography.” The TAKE IT DOWN Act was championed by First Lady Melania Trump as part of her ‘Be Best’ initiative. The legislation gives law enforcement agencies the tools they need to combat the abuse and exploitation of women and children through these fabricated images.
The seizure of CFAKE.com and SOCFAKE.com is a significant step in combating the spread of nonconsensual AI-generated content. The TAKE IT DOWN Act provides a crucial tool for law enforcement agencies to tackle this issue, and the seizure of these websites demonstrates its effectiveness.
**What are deepfakes?**
Deepfakes are AI-generated or AI-manipulated media that depict a person saying, doing, or appearing in ways that never occurred. They can be created from existing photos, videos, or audio recordings and are commonly used to generate nonconsensual nude content, impersonation scams, phishing attacks, and cryptocurrency fraud.
**The TAKE IT DOWN Act**
The TAKE IT DOWN Act was signed into law in May 2025 to combat the spread of nonconsensual imagery. The legislation makes it a federal crime to publish sexually explicit altered images depicting identifiable individuals without their consent. It also requires online platforms to remove reported intimate images and deepfakes within 48 hours of receiving a valid request from a victim.
**Conclusion**
The seizure of CFAKE.com and SOCFAKE.com is a significant victory in the fight against nonconsensual AI-generated content. The TAKE IT DOWN Act provides a crucial tool for law enforcement agencies to tackle this issue, and the seizure of these websites demonstrates its effectiveness.
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