International Collaboration Leads to Shutdown of Deepfake Porn Site
The US Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have seized multiple internet domains, accusing them of hosting thousands of AI-generated or digitally altered images and videos of nude women. The domains, CFAKE.com and SOCFAKE.com, specialized in digital forgeries that were made to appear to be sexual images of famous women, including politicians, first ladies of multiple countries, royalty, journalists, television presenters, athletes, entertainers, and others, either nude or engaged in sexual activity.
The service allowed people to browse by topics, including rape, forced, and degradation. The sites were seized under the TAKE IT DOWN Act, a law passed last year giving federal authorities the ability to criminally prosecute those who create and distribute deepfake porn. The law was a rare moment of bipartisan agreement in Washington D.C., gaining support from both Democrats and Republicans who said their constituents were demanding tougher laws to curb the use of AI to create nonconsensual deepfake porn.
Operation Details and International Cooperation
The operation marks one of the largest seizures since the law went into effect. The details of the operation disclosed by the government show how creators of deepfake porn rely on a web of international assets and infrastructure to evade law enforcement. Robert Fraiser, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, said U.S. authorities worked in coordination with law enforcement agencies in France and Italy.
According to U.S. officials, they were first notified about the website by Italian Polizia de Stato, while a parallel investigation run by the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office in France resulted in the arrest of a suspect connected with the site, along with seized cryptocurrency funds. Cyrille B., a 47-year-old French national, was arrested and accused of being an administrator for CFAKE.
Arrest and Charges
A search of Cyrille B.'s home in Nice found computer equipment related to the site and a little more than $48,000 in Ethereum cryptocurrency that they said came from the site’s advertising. The French investigation identified 300,000 images, 7,000 videos depicting 14,000 individuals from different countries. The site had approximately 200,000 user accounts, 4 million views per month, and uploaded 50 pieces of new content every day.
The suspect had no prior criminal record and will go to trial on July 7. The charges carry potential penalties of up to seven years in prison and €500,000. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigation division is leading the federal investigation, in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s office for New Jersey.
Impact and Response
Robert Fraiser said,
These seizures stopped a website that trafficked in humiliation, exploitation, and the violation of personal privacy on a massive scale. For the victims whose images were distributed without their consent, the harm is not virtual — it is deeply personal and often enduring.
The shutdown of the deepfake porn site is a significant step in the fight against nonconsensual deepfake porn. The collaboration between international authorities demonstrates the importance of cooperation in combating cybercrime and protecting individuals' privacy and dignity.
- The TAKE IT DOWN Act gives federal authorities the ability to criminally prosecute those who create and distribute deepfake porn.
- The law was passed with bipartisan support, reflecting the growing concern about the use of AI to create nonconsensual deepfake porn.
- The operation highlights the need for continued international cooperation in combating cybercrime and protecting individuals' privacy and dignity.
Source: CyberScoop