Deepfake Lawsuits: Holding Creators and Platforms Accountable for Fake Images and Videos

Status: Investigating claims · Last updated November 2026

If someone used artificial intelligence to create fake sexual images or videos of you or your child, or a fake video, photo or voice recording that damaged your reputation, you may have legal options. Deepfakes can be made in seconds from a few ordinary photos, and the harm to victims can be devastating. New federal and Pennsylvania laws now give victims stronger tools, and civil claims can hold creators and others accountable.

At Wieand Parker Arreola, we are investigating claims involving deepfakes, AI-generated intimate images, voice clones and other AI misuse of a person’s identity. All inquiries are confidential. Call (215) 666-7777 for a free, confidential case review.

How Deepfakes Harm People

Common situations include:

• Fake nude or sexual images made from social media photos, often with “nudify” apps
• Deepfakes of students created and shared by classmates
• Sextortion, where criminals threaten to share fake images unless the victim pays
• Fake videos or audio that falsely show someone saying or doing something
• Impersonation scams that use a cloned voice or face to deceive family members, employers or banks
• Unauthorized commercial use of a person’s likeness in ads or products

Victims often suffer anxiety, depression, lost jobs, damaged relationships and harassment, and the images can be hard to remove once they spread.

New Laws Protecting Deepfake Victims

The federal TAKE IT DOWN Act. Signed in May 2025, this law makes it a federal crime to knowingly publish nonconsensual intimate images, including AI-generated ones. Since May 19, 2026, covered online platforms must remove reported intimate images within 48 hours of a valid request, with the Federal Trade Commission enforcing compliance.

Pennsylvania law. Act 125 of 2024 made it a crime to create or share AI-generated sexual images of a person without consent, and strengthened laws against AI-generated child sexual abuse material. Act 35 of 2025, effective in September 2025, created the crime of digital forgery, which covers deepfake videos, images and voice clones made and shared to defraud or injure someone.

Civil claims. Criminal laws punish offenders, but civil lawsuits let victims recover compensation. Depending on the facts, claims may include invasion of privacy, defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, right of publicity and statutory claims for unlawful sharing of intimate images.

Deepfake and AI Identity Claims We Are Investigating

• AI training-data copyright infringement
• AI-generated content that copies creators’ work
• AI defamation and false statements
• AI voice cloning

Who Can Be Held Responsible

Claims may be brought against the person who created or shared the deepfake. Depending on the facts, claims may also reach:

• Apps and websites built to create nonconsensual sexual images
• Platforms that fail to remove reported content as the law requires
• Schools or employers that fail to respond appropriately to deepfakes targeting students or staff
• Businesses that use someone’s likeness without permission

Who May Qualify for a Deepfake Lawsuit

These are the main factors we review:

1. A fake image, video or audio of you or your child created with AI or editing tools.
2. Sharing or threatened sharing online, at school, at work or with family.
3. Harm, such as emotional distress, reputational damage, lost income, counseling costs or harassment.
4. Identifying information about who created or shared it, if known.
5. Prompt action. Filing deadlines apply, so contact a lawyer promptly to protect your rights.

What to Do Right Away

Document everything: take screenshots showing the content, the account, the website address and the date. Do not engage with anyone threatening you. Report intimate images to the platform and request removal. If the victim is a minor, report to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline and use its Take It Down tool. Do not forward explicit images of a minor, even as evidence. Contact law enforcement, especially if you are being threatened.

Deepfake Lawsuit FAQs

Is it illegal to make a deepfake of someone?

Making and sharing sexual deepfakes without consent is now a crime under federal and Pennsylvania law. Other deepfakes may be illegal depending on how they are used.

Can I sue if I don’t know who made it?

Often, yes. Lawsuits can be used to identify anonymous creators through records from platforms and internet providers.

Can I get the images taken down?

Federal law now requires covered platforms to remove reported intimate images within 48 hours. We can help you pursue removal and compensation together.

Contact a Deepfake Lawyer at Wieand Parker Arreola

If you or your child has been targeted by a deepfake, contact Wieand Parker Arreola for a free, confidential case review. If we take your case, you pay no fee unless we recover compensation for you. See related claims involving sextortion, AI companion apps and all of our technology and AI claims.

Call (215) 666-7777 or contact us online for a free case review.

This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Information is current as of November 2026 and may change.