Deepfakes and the Law in 2026

Deepfakes — realistic AI-generated video or audio of real people — sit at the top of the risk pyramid. The EU AI Act specifically requires them to be labelled as artificially generated.

In the US, a growing patchwork of state laws restricts deepfakes in elections and non-consensual contexts. Penalties can be severe.

The practical takeaway is simple: if you create realistic synthetic media of a person, disclose it clearly and unmistakably on the content itself.

When in doubt, treat deepfakes as always requiring disclosure. Our generator defaults to the strictest guidance for this content type.