In today’s digital age, where artificial intelligence can mimic faces, voices, and gestures with alarming accuracy, deepfakes have emerged as a serious threat to personal privacy and reputation. Whether you’re a celebrity, a professional, or just an everyday social media user, you could become a target. Deepfakes use AI to superimpose someone’s likeness onto videos or audio, creating highly realistic but entirely fake content. This manipulation can be used for malicious purposes—such as spreading false information, damaging reputations, blackmail, or even cyberbullying.

Being the victim of a deepfake can be distressing, confusing, and emotionally exhausting. Victims often find themselves struggling to prove their innocence while the fake content spreads rapidly across platforms. Worse, the law hasn’t fully caught up with the technology, leaving many unsure of where to turn. Understanding your rights and options is the first step toward taking back control in such situations.

If you’ve discovered as a victim of a deepfake, the emotional toll can be overwhelming. But you’re not alone. Thousands face this digital violation every year. Here’s what you should do immediately to protect yourself.