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Deepfake with your face or your voice: fighting back

Deepfakes are deceptively real-looking, artificially generated or manipulated images, videos or audio recordings. If your face or your voice is mounted into such content without consent, you can fight back, in civil and partly criminal law.

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Your chances of getting your money back

The use of your image or your voice can violate the right to your own image and the general personality right (§ 22 KUG, § 823 BGB). From this follow claims to cease-and-desist, deletion and, where applicable, damages.
Depending on the content, criminal offenses also come into consideration, for example the violation of the most personal sphere of life through image recordings or offenses against honor. Platforms must remove infringing content once they become aware.

What you should do now

  1. 1

    1. Secure evidence

    Secure the content with URL and date before it is deleted.

  2. 2

    2. Demand deletion

    Ask the creator and platform to remove it.

  3. 3

    3. Check claims

    Have cease-and-desist, deletion and damages examined.

  4. 4

    4. Consider a complaint

    With punishable content, file a criminal complaint.

How to spot the scam

  • The deepfake has sexual or honor-violating content.
  • The content spreads rapidly across several platforms.
  • Demands or extortion attempts are connected with it.

Frequently asked questions

May someone mount my face into a deepfake?

In principle not without your consent. The use of your likeness usually violates the right to your own image and the personality right (§ 22 KUG, § 823 BGB). You can demand cease-and-desist and deletion and, under certain circumstances, damages.

Are deepfakes punishable?

Depending on the content, yes. Coming into consideration are, for example, the violation of the most personal sphere of life through image recordings, insult or, with sexual content, further offenses. Extortion with deepfakes is also punishable. The classification depends on the individual case.

How do I get a deepfake off the net?

First secure evidence and then ask the creator and platform to delete, based on your personality right and Art. 17 DSGVO. Platforms must remove unlawful content after concrete knowledge. A delisting from search engines is also possible.

Take action now

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General information for self-help, not legal advice (RDG). In case of a high loss or uncertainty: contact a consumer advice center or a lawyer.