Federal prosecutors arrested two men for making explicit deepfakes of celebrities - mashable.com
Federal prosecutors arrested two men for creating and publishing AI deepfakes of female celebrities and politicians, marking a key test of the Take It Down Act.
- Incident date
- May 2026
- Target
- Female celebrities and politicians
Two men have been federally charged for generating and publishing AI deepfakes of female celebrities. The content, viewed by millions, included explicit imagery of politicians, musicians, and private photos of women known to one of the accused.
What happened
The two men were arrested in conjunction with a criminal complaint, facing up to two years in prison. They are being tried under the Take It Down Act, which criminalizes publishing nonconsensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated pornography featuring real individuals. The act, backed by First Lady Melania Trump, went into effect one year prior. This case follows the first conviction under the Take It Down Act last month, where an Ohio man pleaded guilty to harassing women with nonconsensual AI images.