U.S. government takes down deepfake porn websites targeting famous women - Peoples Gazette Nigeria

In a major enforcement action, U.S. authorities seized two websites, cfake.com and socfake.com, that hosted thousands of nonconsensual, AI-generated sexual images and videos. The operation targeted a platform that featured content depicting journalists, politicians, athletes, entertainers, and foreign first ladies in explicit, nonconsensual scenarios.

What happened

The coordinated takedown was executed by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security under the Take it Down Act, a federal law enacted in May 2025 that criminalizes the publication of nonconsensual intimate imagery, including deepfakes. The investigation began after Italy’s Polizia di Stato-Postal and Cybersecurity Police alerted U.S. authorities to the domains. Following this, U.S. investigators shared evidence with French authorities under the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. This collaboration led to a parallel investigation by the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office and the French gendarmerie, resulting in an arrest in Nice, France, on June 10, 2025, alongside the seizure of cryptocurrency.

The websites in question allowed users to search for content using tags such as "rape," "forced," and "degradation." Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche characterized the seizure as a significant victory in the fight against deepfake pornography, asserting that the government will continue to enforce the law to combat the exploitation of women. U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer emphasized that the distribution of these images is deeply personal and enduring, warning perpetrators that online anonymity does not equate to immunity. The operation involved extensive international cooperation, including efforts by HSI Rome, the DHS Cybercrime Lab, and the Justice Department’s international affairs units, to effectively halt the dissemination of these digital forgeries.