Step-by-step deepfake takedown: save evidence, pick the right report route, use the 48-hour TAKE IT DOWN process, and set up free or paid monitoring.

Royall publishes this guide. Descriptions of other companies come from their own public pages, accessed October 4, 2026. Check each provider for current features and pricing.

Quick answer

To get a deepfake of you taken down, save the evidence first, then report it through the hosting platform's impersonation, privacy or altered-media form. If it's an intimate image, real or AI-made, covered US platforms must remove it within 48 hours of a valid request under the TAKE IT DOWN Act, and you can report a platform that fails to the FTC. If your own footage was copied, a copyright notice may also work. To catch the next one sooner, combine a free monitoring tool with people who know you.

If a fake of you is up right now

Save evidence first. Copy the URL, account name, date and time, and take screenshots or a screen recording.

Report it to the platform using its impersonation, privacy or altered-media form.

Intimate image, real or AI-made? Covered platforms must remove it within 48 hours of a valid request under the TAKE IT DOWN Act. If a platform fails to act, report it to the FTC at takeitdown.ftc.gov. Our TAKE IT DOWN Act explainer explains what a valid request needs.

If you were under 18 in the image, use NCMEC's Take It Down.

If you're an adult, StopNCII.org creates a hash (digital fingerprint) on your device so participating platforms can detect and block the image.

If you're threatened or in danger, contact local police (911 in the US).

Questions for Royall: royall.ai/help or support@royall.ai.

How do I get a deepfake taken down, step by step?

Capture it. URL, account name and profile link, date and time, screenshots or a screen recording, the caption, and for ads, the advertiser name and landing page. Don't rely on it staying online after you report.
Identify the harm. Impersonation, an intimate image, your copyrighted footage, or your face or voice in an ad. The harm decides the route (table below).
File with the platform. Use the most specific form available. Quote the platform's own policy name if you can.
Keep records. Save confirmation emails, ticket numbers and dates.
Escalate. If an intimate image isn't removed within 48 hours of a valid request, report the platform at takeitdown.ftc.gov. For commercial misuse, a lawyer's letter or a state law claim may be next.
Watch for re-uploads. Altered copies may need new reports. Hash-matching services such as StopNCII help with intimate images.

Which takedown route fits my situation?

What happened	Route	Notes
Account pretending to be you	Platform impersonation form	Often asks for ID
AI video or image of you, not sexual	Platform privacy or altered/synthetic media form	YouTube removals go through its privacy complaint process
Intimate image, real or AI	Platform's TAKE IT DOWN process	48-hour removal duty on covered platforms
Your own photo or video copied	Copyright notice	Only if you own or control the copyright
Your face or voice selling a product	Platform ad report; state publicity law	Varies by state; see the Tracker

What does the TAKE IT DOWN Act require?

As of October 4, 2026:

Who it covers. Public websites and apps that mainly host user-generated content.
What platforms must do. Remove an intimate image published without consent, including an AI "digital forgery" that looks authentic, within 48 hours of a valid request, and make reasonable efforts to remove known identical copies. Altered versions may need separate requests.
What a valid request needs. Your physical or electronic signature (or that of someone authorized to act for you), enough information to find the image, a brief good-faith statement that it was published without your consent, and your contact details.
Enforcement. The FTC has enforced the platform duties since May 19, 2026. You can report a platform at takeitdown.ftc.gov. The FTC uses reports to investigate; it does not resolve individual complaints.
What it doesn't cover. Non-sexual deepfakes, voice clones and impersonation in ads.

Public Law 119-12 · FTC guidance · Tracker

Some states add their own routes. Florida's Brooke's Law, for example, requires covered platforms to offer a 48-hour removal process for altered sexual depictions. Check the Identity Rights Tracker for your state.

How can I monitor for deepfakes for free?

Once a week or month, depending on your exposure:

Search your name, usernames and common misspellings.
Search catchphrases or show titles linked to you.
Check for impersonation accounts on your main platforms.
Review messages from followers who flag suspicious posts.
Log anything you find before reporting it, using the incident log in our rights management guide.

If you're an eligible YouTube creator, turn on YouTube's free likeness detection. It is experimental, matches faces in newly uploaded YouTube videos, and requires a government ID and selfie video. YouTube notes that a detected match doesn't guarantee the video qualifies for removal. YouTube Help

Which services monitor and file takedowns for you?

Each works differently. These are examples, not a ranking.

Loti AI: face and voice monitoring with automated takedowns. Free plan with 5 takedowns a month; Premium $25 a month or $200 a year with up to 30 takedowns a month. Loti reports it "removed 95% of unauthorized content within 17 hours." Loti FAQ
Vermillio TraceID: free threat snapshot and monthly report; Pro at $100 a month includes 30 takedowns a month; Pro+ at $300 a month includes 120. TraceID plans
Ceartas: scans for leaks, deepfakes and impersonators and files removals. Deepfake and AI impersonation removals are listed in its VIP plan ($349 per creator per month). Ceartas pricing
Rulta: daily scans and copyright (DMCA) takedown notices for creators, plus impersonation help; plans from $139 a month. Best suited to copied content you own. Rulta pricing
Alecto AI: free, private support for survivors of leaked intimate images, sextortion and deepfakes, including takedowns, briefing a lawyer and preparing a police report. alectoai.com

More options, including detection tools for platforms, are in our alternatives list.

Where Royall fits

Royall's free Sentinel lets you, or anyone who knows you, send a suspicious link through a personal report link or the Chrome extension. Royall checks it against the face and voice you recorded and sends the takedown notice to the platform for you; you can follow it from your Vault. The paid Protected plan (from $9 a month) adds continuous scanning and lets you appeal a match you disagree with. Royall's matching is described as matches, not accusations: you decide what to do with each one. royall.ai

Key takeaways

Evidence first, report second.
The type of harm decides the takedown route.
Intimate deepfakes: 48 hours on covered platforms, then the FTC.
Copyright only helps with footage you own.
Free monitoring plus people who know you catches a lot.

FAQ

How long does a platform have to remove an intimate deepfake? Under the TAKE IT DOWN Act, no more than 48 hours after a valid request, plus reasonable efforts to remove known identical copies.

Can I get a non-sexual deepfake removed? Often, through the platform's privacy, impersonation or synthetic media rules. Federal law doesn't require it, but some state laws and platform policies apply.

Does a detection match guarantee removal? No. Platforms decide under their own policies and the law.

Do I need a lawyer to file a takedown? No. You can file platform reports and TAKE IT DOWN requests yourself. A lawyer helps with commercial misuse or repeat offenders.

Sources

Related guides

This is general information, not legal advice.

How to Get a Deepfake Taken Down: Monitoring and Takedown for Creators