Social Media Safety / Glossary

Deepfake

A deepfake is a picture, video or voice recording made or changed with AI so that it looks or sounds like a real person doing or saying something they never did.

Deepfakes can be harmless fun, like a face swap in a filter. They can also be used to spread lies, trick people in scams, or hurt someone by making fake sexual images of them.

Making or sharing sexual deepfakes of a real person is abuse, and with anyone under 18 it is against the law, even though the image is fake. The harm to the person shown is real.

Signs of a deepfake can include odd lighting, blurry edges, strange hands or mouths that don't match the words, but good fakes are hard to spot. Check the source, don't share, and report harmful fakes.