The digital safety skill I hope you’ll never use
What to do in the first 15 minutes of a deepfake crisis. A guide to bookmark for yourself or a friend.
TL;DR: Do these 4 things first
Don’t pay or engage: This fuels the abuse.
Screenshot everything: Capture URLs, usernames, and timestamps.
Report to platform: Use keywords “Non-consensual intimate imagery” or “Deepfake.”
Use removal tools: Go to StopNCII.org or TakeItDown.org immediately.
You open your phone and see yourself in a video you never made. Your face. Your voice. Saying something you never said. For a second, your brain tries to rationalize it. Then you realize it’s AI-generated, and it’s already out there. This guide is for that moment.
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), also called cyberviolence, refers to behaviours where technology is used to cause virtual and/or in-person harm. Technology-facilitated violence involves using technology to threaten, harass, bully, embarrass, assault, extort, coerce, torment or socially exclude another person.
From the Government of Canada website
Before anything else
What you’re feeling right now, whether it’s shock, shame, or fear, is a completely normal response to something genuinely violating. This isn’t your fault. Take it one step at a time, and know that support is available right now if you need it: the Ending Violence Association of Canada has a directory of local resources. If you’re in acute distress, a crisis line in your province can help you stabilize before you do anything else.1
The first 15 minutes
Don’t engage with the person who posted it. Don’t pay, if there’s an extortion demand. If you have paid, that doesn’t change your options or your standing, it was a reasonable response to a frightening situation, and you can still act.
Screenshot everything before it disappears: URLs, usernames, timestamps. Report it on the platform where you found it. If it involves intimate images, go directly to StopNCII.org2 or TakeItDown.org. Tell someone you trust. Everything else can wait until those steps are done.
First-person accounts from deepfake victims are scarce in Canada, with most people targeted choosing to stay anonymous. A Toronto law student who was the target of AI-generated sexually explicit videos on TikTok earlier this year put it plainly when she spoke anonymously to CityNews:
“I ended up skipping classes. I was scared that people would recognize me. I felt like no one was going to believe that it wasn’t me.”
— Anonymous law student, Toronto. CityNews Toronto, January 2026
Canadians aren’t alone in this. The pattern she describes is documented internationally. In the U.S., 14-year-old Elliston Berry testified before the Senate about what happened when a classmate used AI to create deepfake images of her. In Scotland, a victim identified only as Sophie told the Christian Institute that a friend had made AI nude images of her: “It was a big feeling of betrayal. It disgusts me that you could do that to someone you would call a friend.”
Indian author and educator Seema Anand, whose deepfake images circulated after a podcast appearance, told Mint: “Thinking about a few of them, I still feel physically sick.” These aren’t edge cases. They are the texture of what this experience is like, across countries, ages, and circumstances.
The scarcity of Canadian voices on record is part of the story. Victims aren’t protected enough to speak openly, and the law hasn’t caught up to the technology.
Step 1: Stop the damage from spreading
The shock of discovery is real, and it makes clear thinking hard. You don’t have to process everything at once. Three actions can make the situation worse right now, and knowing them in advance means you won’t have to figure it out in the moment:
Engaging with whoever posted it
Paying if there’s a threat or extortion demand attached
Forwarding it to others to verify
Each increases your exposure, and in the case of extortion, signals that the tactic is working.
Your first move is containment, not confrontation. Everything else follows that.
Step 2: Build your evidence file before it disappears
This is a step many people skip and later regret. Once content is taken down, proving what happened becomes much harder. Evidence is what gives you options with platforms, employers, and the legal system.
Create a folder and fill it. Take full screenshots that include the URL, the username, and the visible date and time. Save every link where the content appears. Download the image or video if you can. Capture any connected messages, threats, or comments. If possible, use a web archive tool to create a timestamped third-party record. This documentation isn’t a formality, it shapes how you can take action.
Step 3: Understand what kind of help is available for your situation
Deepfakes cause different kinds of harm, and the fastest path forward depends on what’s happening in your specific case. Most victims find these categories blur together, and that’s normal. This isn’t about self-diagnosing your situation, it’s about knowing what to do first.
Intimate or sexual content. AI-generated nude or sexual content, with or without threats. Go to StopNCII.org and report on platform immediately. You are not the first person this has happened to and there are people ready to help.
Sextortion or fraud. Your likeness is being used to extort money or commit financial fraud. If you have already paid, that doesn’t disqualify you from help. Contact your bank and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Reputational harm. False words or behaviour attributed to you, designed to damage how others see you. Document everything. You may have defamation or privacy grounds, and a lawyer can assess quickly.
Workplace or school. Content circulating among colleagues or students. Involve HR or administration early and in writing. Francesca Mani, a US student activist, described having “zero protection” when this happened at her school. You deserve better than that.
Step 4: Report it on every platform where it appears
Start with the platform where you found it. When you file your report, choose the strongest available category: “non-consensual intimate images,” “impersonation,” or “harassment and bullying.” Use the words “deepfake” or “AI-generated” explicitly. As of 2026, major platforms including Instagram, TikTok, and X are required in many jurisdictions to act within 48 hours on deepfake reports. Naming the content type clearly is what triggers that window. Ask others to report it too, since multiple reports accelerate platform response.
If the content is sexual or intimate, go to StopNCII.org, which uses digital fingerprinting to block re-uploads across all participating platforms simultaneously, not just remove one instance. If anyone under 18 is involved, use TakeItDown.org instead. These tools address the spread, not just the source.
Taking control of search results is one of the most effective ways to reclaim your digital privacy. Use these direct links to request that search engines hide links to deepfakes or intimate images from appearing when your name is searched.
Direct De-indexing Request Tools
Google Search: Request Removal of Non-Consensual Sexual Content
Note: Google’s latest 2026 update allows you to report multiple images at once and opt-in to “safeguards” that proactively filter out similar results in the future.
Bing (Microsoft): Report Harmful Content / Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery
Note: Use the “Report harmful or illegal content” option. Bing also offers a “Block URLs” tool for temporary removal (processed in as little as 12 hours) while they review a permanent request.
Yahoo: Take It Down Report / Removal Request
Note: Yahoo has a dedicated form specifically for intimate visual depictions shared without consent.
Before you submit: Have you taken your screenshots? Once a search engine de-indexes a link, it becomes much harder for you to find it again to gather evidence for the police or a lawyer. Capture your evidence first.
You owe no one an explanation. The person who created this content is responsible for it. You are not.
Step 5: Know your legal options in Canada
Can you press charges in Canada? In many circumstances, yes. Sharing intimate images without consent is already a criminal offence under the Criminal Code. The absence of a specific “deepfake crime” doesn’t mean no offence occurred - prosecutors use related provisions including criminal harassment and extortion. Document everything before you call police, because that record is what they need to act.
Courts are still catching up to AI-generated content, which means some cases land in a grey area. That gap is not your fault, and it doesn’t leave you without recourse.
As of 2026, major platforms operating in Canada are legally required in many jurisdictions to act within 48 hours on reports of non‑consensual intimate images, including AI‑generated deepfakes. Naming the content clearly as a deepfake or AI‑generated intimate image helps trigger those obligations where they apply.
The U.S. Take It Down Act imposes 48‑hour takedown duties for non‑consensual intimate images (real or AI‑generated) on platforms.
If it’s intimate or sexual content, you can report it to police, particularly if there are threats, coercion, or minors involved. Civil action is also available. British Columbia’s Intimate Images Protection Act explicitly includes AI-generated deepfakes and allows for removal orders and damages; other provinces are moving in the same direction.
Canada is watching international developments closely: the UK’s Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 and new US federal digital replica protections are both shaping how Canadian regulators approach reform, and updates to federal law are expected. Local legal advice matters here, since provincial protections vary.
If it’s sextortion, fraud, or a voice scam, treat it as identity theft. Contact your bank immediately. Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and file a police report. Keep records of every financial interaction connected to the incident. If you have already paid an extortion demand, include that in your report; it is evidence.
If it’s reputational, you may have grounds for defamation, privacy violations, or misuse of your likeness. These are civil cases, but they can stop the spread and result in damages. A lawyer who practises in privacy or media law can assess your situation quickly.
As of early 2026, Canada has not yet fully criminalized sexual deepfakes of adults, though the federal government has introduced Bill C‑16, the Protecting Victims Act, which aims to do so.
Step 6: Bring in the right people early
Handling this alone usually makes it worse. A trusted friend or partner can help you think clearly when shock is setting in. Your employer or HR team needs to know if the content is circulating at work; getting ahead of it in writing protects you. If students are involved, the school administration should be looped in.
In Canada, cases involving minors can be reported to Cybertip.ca. Privacy violations can go to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. A lawyer who works in privacy or digital rights law can help you move quickly on the options that matter most for your situation.
Step 7: Decide whether going public makes sense for you
You’re not obligated to address this publicly. In many cases, quiet removal is the more effective path. If the content is spreading at scale or affecting your professional life, a short clear statement can help: something like, “This content is AI-generated. Steps are underway to remove it.” No extended explanation, no engagement with whoever created it.
You owe no one an explanation. The person who created this content is responsible for it. You aren’t.
Step 8: Take the emotional impact seriously, including right now
Many people who’ve experienced this describe a specific kind of distress: not only that the content exists, but that they can’t control where it goes. The Toronto law student who spoke to CityNews said she was scared people would recognize her and felt certain no one would believe her. That fear reflects exactly what this kind of abuse is designed to produce.
“When I was just 14 years old, my life changed forever after a boy at my school used AI to create deepfake images of me.”
— Elliston Berry, survivor and advocate, USA. Testimony to the US Senate, April 2025
Research links deepfake abuse, particularly sexual content, to psychological impacts comparable to severe cyberbullying or sexual violence. Anxiety, shame, hypervigilance, and fear about safety or reputation are normal responses to a real loss of control.
Support resources in Canada: The Ending Violence Association of Canada maintains a directory of local resources. For intimate image abuse specifically, the Centre for Digital Rights offers direct support. For cases involving minors, contact Cybertip.ca. If you’re in acute distress, contact a crisis line in your province directly. A quick search for “[your province] crisis line” will get you there in one step.
Deepfakes are designed to make you feel like the situation is out of your hands. The response is to slow down, document carefully, and move deliberately. The technology behind them is new. The abuse is not, and neither is the path through it.
You didn’t create this. Document it, report it, get support, and move forward on your own terms.
For immediate, 24/7 help anywhere in Canada, call or text 9-8-8 (Suicide Crisis Helpline). For children and youth, call 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868 (Kids Help Phone). First Nations and Inuit can call 1-855-242-3310 (Hope for Wellness). For local services, including housing or food, dial 2-1-1.
Provincial and Territorial Crisis Lines
Alberta: Call 2-1-1 or 1-877-303-2642 (Mental Health Line).
British Columbia: Call 310-6789 (no area code needed) for mental health support.
Manitoba: Call 1-888-379-7699 (Crisis Response Centre) or 2-1-1.
New Brunswick: Call 1-800-667-5005 (Mental Health Services).
Newfoundland and Labrador: Call 1-888-737-4668 (Mental Health Crisis Line).
Northwest Territories: Call 1-800-661-0844 (NWT Help Line).
Nova Scotia: Call 1-888-429-8167 (Mental Health & Addictions Crisis Line).
Nunavut: Call 1-800-265-3333 (Kamatsiaqtut Help Line).
Ontario: Call 1-866-531-2600 (Mental Health Helpline) or 2-1-1.
Prince Edward Island: Call 1-800-268-0888 (Mental Health & Addictions).
Quebec: Call 1-866-277-3553 (Crisis Lines).
Saskatchewan: Call 2-1-1 or 1-306-933-6200 (Mobile Crisis Services).
Yukon: Call 1-844-533-3030 (Mental Wellness and Substance Use).
Specialized Support Lines
Trans Lifeline: 1-877-330-6366.
Assaulted Women’s Helpline (Ontario): 1-866-863-0511.
Veterans Affairs Canada: 1-800-268-7708.
If you are in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1.
These numbers are current as of April 2026.
StopNCII is run by the Revenge Porn Hotline and is accessible to Canadian survivors
Hey Nicolle - great topic and important to get ahead of this. Have you seen what Denmark has done about this? Proactive and definitely going in the right direction: https://www.npr.org/2025/07/27/nx-s1-5478623/denmark-introduces-legislation-to-protect-its-citizens-from-ai-deepfakes
thank you for this