Deepfake Ads Using Your Face, Voice, or Brand? Unmasking, Takedown, and Recovery
Scammers and unscrupulous marketers run ads that use a real person's face or voice, or a real brand's name, to sell something that person or company never endorsed. Jonathan Phillips unmasks the operators behind these ads and has obtained large settlements and takedowns, in Illinois and federal courts. Updated October 2026.
At a glance
Who is affected: Public figures, professionals, executives, and brands whose likeness or name appears in an ad they never approved
Typical claims: Violation of the right of publicity, false endorsement and false advertising under the Lanham Act, trademark infringement, and fraud claims where consumers were deceived
First steps: Preserve the ads, report to the platform, and identify the advertiser
How identity is found: Subpoenas to ad platforms, payment processors, domain registrars, and hosting providers, through a lawsuit or pre-suit petition
Time pressure: Ads vanish quickly and records are kept for limited periods
What laws apply?
Illinois Right of Publicity Act (765 ILCS 1075): prohibits using a person's identity for commercial purposes without consent. Recent amendments address digital replicas of a person's voice or likeness [verify current text and effective dates].
Lanham Act § 43(a) (15 U.S.C. § 1125(a)): false endorsement and false advertising claims, available to people and companies.
Trademark law: Where a brand name or logo is used to mislead buyers.
Consumer fraud and related claims: For losses suffered by people who bought because of the fake ad.
Section 230 (47 U.S.C. § 230): generally protects platforms that host user content, but it does not protect the advertiser. Federal intellectual property claims against platforms are treated separately.
How do you find who is behind the ad?
Preserve the ad and landing page: URLs, the ad library entry, screenshots, and any checkout or form pages.
Trace the infrastructure: domain registrations, hosting, payment processors, email addresses, and ad accounts.
Send preservation letters to the platform, host, and processor.
Serve subpoenas after filing suit, or seek pre-suit discovery in Illinois under Rule 224 where it fits
Follow the money: processors, banks, and affiliate networks often hold more reliable identity records than the ad account itself.
How do takedowns work?
Platform reports: Most ad platforms accept impersonation and deceptive-ad reports. Speed varies, and repeat ads often reappear under new accounts.
Host and registrar complaints: Reaching the infrastructure behind the landing page often ends the campaign.
Court orders: Once an operator is identified or defaults, a court can order removal and award damages. Jonathan does not promise removal of any ad.
What can be recovered?
Damages for the unauthorized commercial use of your identity
Profits the advertiser made from the use, where the law allows
Injunctions against further use
Attorney's fees in some cases, such as exceptional Lanham Act cases
Many of these matters resolve by settlement once the operator is identified. Jonathan has obtained large settlements and takedowns from deepfake ad operators.
What should I do in the first week?
Capture every ad: screenshots, the ad URL, the date, and the account that posted it. Include the landing page.
Report the ad through the platform's impersonation or scam tools.
Do not buy from the fake store or interact with the operator; it can complicate evidence.
Keep records of any customers who contacted you after seeing the ad.
Contact counsel before posting a public warning that names a specific person or company, since an incorrect accusation can create a claim against you.
How I handle these
Jonathan has identified the operators behind deepfake ad campaigns and obtained large settlements and takedowns for people and brands whose likeness or name was used without permission. Results depend on the facts, and no lawyer can promise removal. Flat fees and payment plans are available for many initial investigations. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sue Meta or Google over a deepfake ad? Usually not for the ad content itself, because of Section 230, but platforms can be subpoenaed for the advertiser's identity and will act on reports.
The ad uses my face but not my name. Does it matter? Yes. Illinois law protects identity, which includes likeness and voice, not only your name.
What if the operator is overseas? It is harder but not impossible. Processors, banks, and hosting providers are often in the United States, and U.S. courts can order them to produce records and freeze funds in some cases.
Should I post a warning to customers? Talk to counsel first. A short, accurate notice that you did not authorize the ad is usually safe; accusations against named people are not.
What does it cost? Costs vary, but fee recovery from the deep fake entity may be possible.
Jonathan L.A. Phillips, Brown, Hay & Stephens, LLP. Part of Internet Law. Last reviewed October 2026. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.