DOJ seizes CFAKE, SOCFAKE nude sites under TAKE IT DOWN Act

The US Department of Justice announced on Friday that it has seized the websites CFAKE.com and SOCFAKE.com, which allegedly hosted photos and videos of nude women generated by AI that did not consent, in what appears to be the first publicly announced seizure of the site under the TAKE IT DOWN Act.

According to the DOJ, the sites shared sexually explicit digital images, or deepfakes, featuring politicians, celebrities, athletes, musicians, and even royalty from many countries.

“According to a possible affidavit in support of the seizure warrants, the digital falsehoods were made to look like sexual images of famous women, including politicians, first ladies of many countries, royalty, journalists, television hosts, athletes, entertainers, and others,” the DOJ announcement read.

A deepfake is AI-generated or AI-fake media that shows a person saying, acting, or appearing in ways that never happened. Deep images and videos can be created from existing images, videos, or recordings and are often used to generate objectionable nudity content, impersonation scams, phishing, and cryptocurrency fraud.

The domains CFAKE.com and SOCFAKE.com were seized Thursday by the DOJ and Homeland Security Investigations after a federal judge found probable cause that they were used to violate the DAKE IT DOWN Act.

Domains now display a seizure notice stating that they have been taken offline due to seizure consent as part of an operation involving the US, Italy, and France.

“THIS BODY WAS SEIZED by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Jersey Field Office pursuant to an arrest warrant issued by the US District Court for the District of New Jersey as part of coordinated law enforcement actions by HSI, the French National Police, the Paris Prosecutor’s Office, the United States Computer’s Posta Office – Status Polizia Criminal and Intellectual Property Division and and the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey in violation of 47 USC § 223,” reads the kidnapping banner on the websites.

“THE TAKE IT DOWN ACT (47 USC § 223) prohibits the unauthorized publication of digital intimate photos (ie, deepfakes). Violators are subject to fines, imprisonment or both.”

The investigation began after the Italian Post and Cybersecurity Police notified US authorities of the websites.

According to Italian media reports, investigators opened an investigation in October 2025 after receiving complaints about AI-generated pornographic images depicting women in politics, sports, entertainment, and other public-facing activities.

Italian authorities later obtained a court order blocking access to Italian websites while they continued their investigation. The DOJ says evidence gathered by US law enforcement was later shared with French authorities.

French prosecutors and investigators then conducted an investigation that led to the arrest of a suspect in Nice, France, on June 10, and the seizure of cryptocurrency allegedly connected to the operation.

The bipartisan TAKE IT DOWN Act was signed into law in May 2025 to combat the spread of unconsented images, including deep AI-generated pornography. The law was promoted by First Lady Melania Trump as part of her “Be Best” program.

The law makes it a federal crime to publish photoshopped images of visible people without their consent. The law also requires online forums to remove reported intimate photos and deepfakes within 48 hours of receiving a valid request from a victim.

“These seizures mark a significant victory in the fight against pornography,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in an announcement Friday.

“The DAKE IT DOWN Act, championed by First Lady Melania Trump, gives us the tools we need to fight the abuse and exploitation of women and children through these manufactured images.”

The law was previously used by an Ohio man who pleaded guilty to charges related to creating AI-generated porn.

However, the seizure of CFAKE.com and SOCFAKE.com appears to be the first publicly announced use of the law to target websites suspected of being used to distribute authentic pornography.