Deepfakes and Synthetic Content
A deepfake (synthetic content) is an image, video or audio recording that has been digitally created or manipulated to convincingly imitate a real person.
AI and other editing tools can now make this type of content increasingly realistic and easy to create.
Deepfakes and synthetic content can include:
Changing someone's face in an image or video
Creating a fake video that appears to show someone doing or saying something they haven't
Cloning or imitating someone's voice
Creating fake photographs of a real person
Using someone's image or voice to impersonate them online
Creating misleading content designed to embarrass, deceive or damage someone's reputation
Digitally removing or changing someone's clothing
Creating fake nude, sexual or intimate images of someone
Placing someone's face onto sexual or pornographic content
Not all deepfakes or AI-generated content are necessarily harmful or illegal. Synthetic content can be used for entertainment, parody, creative work and other legitimate purposes.
Problems can arise when someone's likeness is used without their consent to deceive, exploit, harass or sexually abuse them.
What are deepfakes and synthetic content?
A sexual deepfake, also known as synthetic sexual content, is an intimate image or video that has been created or altered to make it appear that a real person is nude or taking part in sexual activity.
This could involve placing someone's face onto another person's body or using AI tools to create an entirely artificial intimate image of them.
The image doesn't have to show the person's real body to have a serious impact. Friends, family, colleagues or other people who see the content may have no way of knowing that it isn't real.
What does the law say about deepfakes and synthetic content?
There isn't one law that makes all deepfakes or AI-generated content illegal. Whether synthetic content is against the law depends on what has been created, how it is being used and what has happened to it.
There are, however, specific protections around sexual deepfakes and synthetic intimate images.
In England and Wales, the legal definition of an intimate image can include manufactured or altered images, including deepfakes. Sharing or threatening to share this type of intimate content without consent can therefore be a criminal offence.
The law has also continued to develop as AI-generated sexual content has become easier to create, including offences relating to the creation of non-consensual intimate images.
The Online Safety Act places duties on regulated online services to protect UK users, including adults, from illegal content and activity. Where a deepfake is connected to an offence, for example, intimate image abuse, fraud, threats, harassment or other illegal behaviour then the relevant online safety duties may apply.
For non-sexual deepfakes, simply creating edited or AI-generated content of someone isn't automatically illegal. However, how the content is used may potentially engage other laws, particularly where it is being used to defraud, impersonate, threaten or harass someone.
Platforms may also have their own rules around AI-generated content, impersonation, manipulated media and non-consensual intimate imagery, so you can still report synthetic content even if you're unsure whether it is illegal.
How do I report a deepfake or synthetic content?
If someone has created or shared a deepfake of you, there are several steps you can take.
Save evidence
Before reporting the content, save information about where you found it. This could include screenshots, URLs, usernames, account details and the dates and times the content was posted. You don't need to repeatedly view, download or share distressing content in order to report it.
Report the content to the platform
Report the image, video, audio or account directly to the platform where it has been shared. Depending on the platform, relevant reporting options may include impersonation, manipulated or AI-generated content, harassment, misinformation or non-consensual intimate imagery.
If the deepfake is sexual
If someone has created or shared a sexual deepfake of you, the Revenge Porn Helpline can provide specialist advice and support to adults in the UK. They can help you understand your options and provide support with reporting and removing synthetic sexual content from online platforms.
Consider reporting it to the police
If synthetic content is being used to threaten, blackmail, harass, defraud or sexually abuse you, you can consider reporting what has happened to the police.
If you or someone else if in immediate danger, call 999.
Already reported it to the platform?
If you've reported harmful non-sexual synthetic content to a platform and you're unhappy with the response, Report Harmful Content may be able to help you understand your reporting options and what you can do next.