US and South Korea enforce laws against AI-generated deepfakes
The US Federal Trade Commission began enforcing the Take It Down Act on May 19, 2026, requiring technology platforms to remove non-consensual intimate deepfakes within 48 hours. South Korea is simultaneously applying two laws to restrict AI-generated deepfakes in political campaigns ahead of June 2026 elections, representing major regulatory responses to deepfake harm.
What happened
The US Federal Trade Commission began enforcing the Take It Down Act on May 19, 2026, which was signed by President Donald Trump in May 2025.
The law requires technology platforms to remove non-consensual intimate deepfakes and private images without the owner's consent, with platforms required to establish a process for removal requests and comply within 48 hours of receiving a valid request or face penalties.
South Korea is applying two laws simultaneously ahead of its June 3, 2026 local elections to limit the use of AI-generated deepfakes in political campaigns, described as one of the world's most aggressive efforts to combat voter manipulation through artificial intelligence.
Reported impact
FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson emphasized that protecting vulnerable people, especially children, from harmful abusive content created through deepfakes is a priority for the agency and the government.
In South Korea, deepfakes including fake videos of political candidates, AI news broadcasts, and opinion-manipulation content have increasingly appeared on social media platforms.
Index analysis
The deployment of deepfake technology using generative AI has made creating convincing synthetic video, audio, and images faster, cheaper, and more accessible to non-experts.
In the US context in 2024, robocalls impersonating Joe Biden were used to discourage voters in New Hampshire primary elections, demonstrating the technology's use in election interference.
Governance controls
The Take It Down Act establishes a 48-hour removal requirement for non-consensual intimate imagery and deepfakes, enforced by the FTC through monitoring compliance, investigating violations, and imposing penalties.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.