Intimate Deepfake
AI-generated or manipulated intimate image or video material of a real person, created without their consent. In Germany prosecutable under §201a StGB.
Intimate deepfakes account for over 95% of all deepfakes online (source: Deeptrace). In Germany §201a StGB explicitly covers AI content since the 2021 reform — punishable by up to 2 years imprisonment. Civil claims under §823 BGB (damages) add to the criminal liability.
What qualifies as an intimate deepfake?
An intimate deepfake exists when a real, identifiable person is depicted via AI technology in a sexual or otherwise intimate context they never actually were in. Today, a single publicly available photo is often enough to produce convincing results.
Typical forms: face swaps onto existing adult content, fully AI-generated intimate images with recognizable facial features, or manipulated voice recordings.
Legal situation in Germany
The most important statute is §201a StGB. Since 2021 it explicitly covers AI-generated or manipulated content suitable to damage the depicted person’s reputation or violate their personal privacy.
- §201a StGB: up to 2 years imprisonment
- §33 KUG: distribution of image recordings without consent — punishable
- §185 StGB: additionally for defamatory content
- §823 BGB: civil damages
- GDPR Art. 17: right to erasure — your face is personal data
Immediate steps for victims
- Preserve screenshots with visible address bar, date, timestamp
- Start automated DMCA takedown (e.g. via leak.red)
- File criminal complaint at the cybercrime unit of your federal state
- Request parallel search de-indexing at Google and Bing
Detailed guide: Deepfake — what to do? (immediate help guide).