US Department of Justice Seizes Deepfake Websites
The US Department of Justice announced on Friday that it has seized the CFAKE.com and SOCFAKE.com websites, which allegedly hosted nonconsensual AI-generated nude images and videos of women, in what appears to be the first publicly announced domain seizure under the TAKE IT DOWN Act.
According to the DOJ, the sites shared sexually explicit digital images, or deepfakes, depicting politicians, celebrities, athletes, musicians, and even royalty from multiple countries. A deepfake is AI-generated or AI-manipulated media that depicts a person saying, doing, or appearing in ways that never occurred.
Background of the Investigation
The investigation began after Italy's Postal and Cybersecurity Police alerted US authorities to the websites. According to Italian media reports, investigators opened an inquiry in October 2025 after receiving complaints regarding AI-generated sexually explicit images depicting women from politics, sports, entertainment, and other public-facing professions.
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 later shared with French authorities. French prosecutors and investigators then conducted an investigation that led to the arrest of a suspect in Nice, France, on June 10, along with the seizure of cryptocurrency allegedly connected to the operation.
The TAKE IT DOWN Act
The bipartisan TAKE IT DOWN Act was signed into law in May 2025 to combat the spread of nonconsensual imagery, including AI-generated deepfake pornography. The legislation was championed by First Lady Melania Trump as part of her 'Be Best' initiative. The law makes it a federal crime to publish sexually explicit altered images depicting identifiable individuals without their consent.
The legislation also requires online platforms to remove reported intimate images and deepfakes within 48 hours of receiving a valid request from a victim. 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, championed by First Lady Melania Trump, gives us the tools we need to combat the abuse and exploitation of women and children through these fabricated images.'
Impact and Future Actions
The law was previously used against an Ohio man who pleaded guilty to charges related to creating AI-generated sexually explicit images. However, 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.
The CFAKE.com and SOCFAKE.com domains were seized on Thursday by the DOJ and Homeland Security Investigations after a federal judge found probable cause that they were being used to violate the TAKE IT DOWN Act. The domains now display a seizure notice stating they were taken offline pursuant to a seizure warrant as part of an operation involving the US, Italy, and France.
The TAKE IT DOWN ACT (47 U.S.C. § 223) prohibits the nonconsensual publication of intimate imagery and digital forgeries (i.e., deepfakes). Violators are subject to fines, imprisonment or both.
The seizure of these websites marks a significant step in the fight against deepfake pornography and the exploitation of women and children through nonconsensual imagery. As technology continues to evolve, it is essential for law enforcement and lawmakers to stay ahead of these threats and protect individuals from abuse and exploitation.
Source: BleepingComputer