Trauma & Grief

What Should I Do If Someone Made an AI Deepfake of Me?

If someone made an AI deepfake of you, first focus on safety and support rather than handling it alone. The content may be fake, but the violation is real, and you may need help documenting it, reporting it, protecting yourself, and caring for the emotional impact.

Key takeaways

  • Get support from a trusted person before responding publicly or directly.
  • Preserve evidence if it is safe to do so: links, screenshots, dates, accounts, and messages.
  • Use platform reporting tools and consider specialized technology abuse resources.
  • If threats, stalking, sexual exploitation, or immediate danger are involved, seek urgent real-world support.

What may be happening

An AI deepfake can feel shocking, humiliating, frightening, or unreal. You may want to delete everything, confront the person, or prove it is fake immediately. Those urges make sense, but it can help to slow down and get support first. The safest next step depends on the context: who made it, where it was shared, whether threats are involved, and whether the person has access to you offline.

What can help

If you can do so safely, save evidence before it disappears: URLs, screenshots, usernames, timestamps, messages, and where the content was posted. Avoid engaging with the person directly if that could escalate risk. Report the content to the platform and consider telling a trusted friend, family member, workplace contact, school administrator, therapist, or technology abuse advocate. This is not legal advice; if you need legal information, seek a qualified local professional or victim-support resource.

When to get support

Get immediate support if the deepfake is sexual, involves a minor, includes threats, is part of stalking or partner abuse, or makes you fear for your safety. Emotional support is also important. Panic, shame, numbness, anger, and trouble sleeping are common after a violation like this, and you deserve help even if other people minimize it.

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