On June 12, 2026, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security announced that deepfake domains CFAKE.com and SOCFAKE.com were seized and taken down using the TAKE IT DOWN Act. The seized domains “were being used to publish thousands of digitally forged images and videos depicting famous women as nude and sometimes engaged in sexual activity, without their consent.” The deepfakes included royalty, journalists, television personalities, athletes, entertainers, and others. According to the press release, “The website allowed people to browse by tags that included topics like ‘rape,’ ‘forced,’ and ‘degradation.’”

U.S. authorities were alerted to the website by Italy’s Polizia di Stato Postal and Cybersecurity Policy. After a U.S. investigation, evidence was shared with French authorities, who also investigated and made an arrest in Nice on June 10, 2026. This is a great example of how important international law enforcement cooperation is in prosecuting individuals outside of the U.S. and taking down harmful and illegal domains. This is a big win for law enforcement in the U.S., Italy, and France in combatting deepfakes.

Photo of Linn Foster Freedman Linn Foster Freedman

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her…

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her practice on compliance with all state and federal privacy and security laws and regulations. She counsels a range of public and private clients from industries such as construction, education, health care, insurance, manufacturing, real estate, utilities and critical infrastructure, marine and charitable organizations, on state and federal data privacy and security investigations, as well as emergency data breach response and mitigation. Linn is an Adjunct Professor of the Practice of Cybersecurity at Brown University and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Roger Williams University School of Law.  Prior to joining the firm, Linn served as assistant attorney general and deputy chief of the Civil Division of the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Rhode Island. She earned her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law and her B.A., with honors, in American Studies from Newcomb College of Tulane University. She is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Read her full rc.com bio here.

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