Feds Seize CFAKE and SOCFAKE Over Explicit Deepfakes of Famous Women

On June 10, 2025, U.S. authorities executed a significant federal operation by seizing the domains CFAKE.com and SOCFAKE.com, which were accused of hosting thousands of nonconsensual, sexually explicit deepfake images and videos. This enforcement action represents one of the first major applications of the TAKE IT DOWN Act, a federal law enacted in May 2025 that criminalizes the nonconsensual publication of sexually explicit digital forgeries.

What happened

The investigation was initiated after the Italian Polizia di Stato alerted U.S. law enforcement to the presence of these sites. The platforms featured digitally altered or AI-generated content depicting various high-profile public figures, including politicians, first ladies, royalty, journalists, athletes, and entertainers. Prosecutors noted that the content was categorized using inflammatory tags such as "rape," "forced," and "degradation," indicating an intent to cause significant reputational and personal harm.

The operation involved an international coalition, including the U.S. Department of Justice, Homeland Security Investigations, French authorities, and Italian police. Following the sharing of evidence between U.S. and French investigators via the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, French authorities arrested a suspect in Nice on June 10. In addition to the domain seizures, investigators successfully seized cryptocurrency linked to the operation. The seizure notices now displayed on the domains confirm the sites were shuttered due to violations of 47 U.S.C. § 223. This case serves as a warning that authorities are actively pursuing those who operate platforms dedicated to deepfake sexual abuse.