New York Seizes a Dozen Celebrity Deepfake Websites

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The Manhattan District Attorney's Office executed the largest-ever coordinated seizure of deepfake pornography websites, taking down 12 domains that collectively targeted approximately 1,200 victims — mostly women including celebrities, politicians, activists, and athletes. The sites were replaced with 'THIS DOMAIN HAS BEEN SEIZED' notices following a seizure warrant issued by a New York State Supreme Court. The takedown reflects how quickly AI image and video synthesis tools have evolved since nonconsensual deepfakes first emerged around 2017. A shadow industry of websites, apps, and automated bots now generates undressed images in seconds — and while high-profile celebrities have borne the brunt publicly, the technology increasingly targets private individuals whose likenesses circulate in closed social media groups. The critical legal mechanism was the US Take It Down Act, which for the first time gives law enforcement explicit authority to seize domains hosting synthetic sexual imagery — not just require their removal. DA Alvin Bragg stated that investigations into the operators and uploaders behind the sites are ongoing, signaling that domain seizures may be precursors to criminal charges. For AI practitioners building image and video generation tools, this enforcement action signals a hardening regulatory environment. Platform operators and cloud hosts may face increasing pressure to implement stricter nonconsensual content safeguards as prosecutors demonstrate willingness to pursue seizures under the new law.