The AI Doppelgänger Nightmare: Inside the Unregulated Wild West of Deepfakes

Online creators are facing a surge of AI-generated copycat accounts that steal their videos and likenesses, with fitness creator Marsha Dunkel reporting that her Instagram content was replicated and used to hawk products. YouTube parent Google said it offers detection and removal tools for unauthorized AI replicas, while Meta did not respond to requests for comment on how Instagram handles such theft. The incidents highlight the difficulty creators face in protecting their digital identities in an unregulated deepfake landscape.

Imagine you’ve worked for months or years to create engaging videos, build an audience, and maybe even bagged brand deals as a result. Now, what if someone else just came along and stole your videos and descriptions, used AI tools to make minor tweaks, then gained a sizable following of their own? It’s a situation many online creators are facing as copycat accounts featuring AI-generated versions of them are popping up, hawking shady products and spreading misinformation. Since 2016, Marsha Dunkel https://www.instagram.com/marsha du / , an athlete and online fitness creator, and her partner Antoine Gillet have been running an Instagram account that’s reached 1.2 million followers. Recently, she shared this video with her community about how her videos were being replicated using AI tools. I reached out to her to learn more about the problem and what she and the platforms she uses has done to address it. The pair told me that AI-generated copycat videos have been popping up recently on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Antoine said, “Earlier this year, we had somebody send us a video saying, 'Hey, isn't that you?'" Dunkel said that when she reached out to one of the copycat accounts to ask them to remove her likeness, they threatened to report her account in retaliation. Gillet explained that they didn’t pursue the incident much further because if their account was removed from the platform, even for a short time, it could be devastating for their business. Incidents like this show how hard it is for creators to get help when someone steals their likeness. And so far, the platforms where they’re posting haven’t done much to protect them. That’s why I reached out to a lawyer who specializes in cases involving deepfakes and copyright protection to learn what you can do to protect your videos and photos from becoming someone else’s AI-generated viral hit. "Hey, Isn't That You?" The AI Clone Crisis Hitting Social Media Marsha Dunkel is one of many human creators whose likeness has been stolen by AI copycat accounts. Fitness coach and Instagram creator Abbey Reynolds https://www.instagram.com/abbeeyreynolds posted earlier this year https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVdR uQjL3k/ about several fake accounts copying her videos and using AI tools to alter her appearance. Musician Sophie Burrell https://www.instagram.com/sophieburrell1/ has also seen her fair share of AI-generated fakes that copy everything about her videos https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYSsJvAv78Z/ , except for her hair or facial features. Just this month, YouTube creator Rhett Shull https://www.youtube.com/rhettshull posted a video titled “ Hey YouTube…WTF Is This? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIiKGoYXHVs ” in which he reacts to a weirdly smooth-faced replica of himself spouting absolute nonsense about amps and guitars. In the video, Shull notes how dangerous the AI clone is because it could make him responsible for spreading misinformation or promoting a cause or company he’d never endorse. I reached out to YouTube’s parent company, Google, about this deepfake epidemic. A spokesperson offered the following statement: “We offer a range of solutions designed to proactively detect when a creator's likeness is replicated by AI https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/16440338?hl=en , or if their copyrighted work is being reused without permission. Alongside our automated systems, we provide direct pathways for creators to request the removal of unauthorized content, and we take action when we receive valid requests.” I also contacted Meta, Instagram's parent company, for information on how it handles users who steal other creators' likenesses and original videos. The company did not respond. Where the Law Stands on AI Likeness Theft Dunkel lives in France, and during the video call, her partner, Antoine, told me their country’s legal system turns likeness and copyright cases into lengthy, expensive battles that aren’t worth the fight. Disheartened, I contacted a stateside attorney specializing in general intellectual property law, government contracts, patents, and trademarks to find out whether US-based online creators had more options. “So there's intimate deepfakes, and non-intimate deepfakes, and there's a whole bunch of laws around intimate deepfakes, “ explained Thomas Dunlap, a Washington DC-based partner at Dunlap, Bennett, and Ludwig https://www.dbllawyers.com/professionals/thomas-dunlap/ . “We just don't have the law yet around regular deepfakes, especially when it comes to commercial stuff.” When he says “intimate deepfakes,” he’s referring to non-consensual, AI-generated images and videos of real people that are sexual in nature, which are also referred to as “revenge porn.” The law that prohibits distributing this content is the Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks Act, or the Take It Down Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TAKE IT DOWN Act , which was signed into law in May of 2025. If someone violates the law, they could face up to two years in prison. It’s worth noting that the law doesn’t prohibit generating this kind of content, just distributing it. As for legislation that could help the content creators above, Dunlap says copyright and deepfake laws vary by state. There is, however, hope for a federal law that could protect anyone’s likeness from use without consent. The Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act, or No Fakes Act https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1367 , advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee in late June of this year. The legislation would allow people to prohibit unauthorized AI generation using their voices and visual likenesses. “It's basically a protection for everybody, federally,” noted Dunlap. “You could have a legal lawsuit. You'd have civil rights to sue people.” How to Protect Yourself Against AI Deepfakes While we wait for federal legislation to catch up with the AI age, it’s a good idea to prepare yourself, even if you don’t consider yourself a content creator. If you’re a business owner, creative, writer, or anyone with an online presence or audience of any size, consider these defensive strategies to spot and report deepfake profiles. To get you started, Dunlap offered a few suggestions that he offers to business or government clients. His first suggestion is to sign up for a service that monitors social channels for deepfakes of you or your videos. Reality Defender https://www.realitydefender.com/solutions/brand-executive-protection and ZeroFox https://www.zerofox.com/solutions/executive-protection/executive-social-monitoring/ are both good options. This is not a legal first step, but it’s a proactive measure that can help protect your online presence over time by scanning social media platforms and alerting you when someone steals your content or likeness. Your first legal step depends on the nature of the deepfake. In Marsha’s case, the thieves stole her videos outright, replacing only her face and hair, or created an AI-generated runner based on Dunkel’s signature stride. In these cases, the copycat is repurposing most of the video, so Dunkel could file a cease-and-desist letter under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act https://www.copyright.gov/dmca/ DMCA . The next step is to clear your good name. Dunlap said, “I tell people to publish a post on your own website saying this is the real me here.” He also recommended reaching out to the social media platforms where the videos are hosted to report offending accounts. “It is a little bit of a whack-a-mole, but use the social media platform’s system,” urged Dunlap. “Most of the platforms have a pretty good system now to submit a takedown notice.” While you can submit a takedown request, that doesn’t mean you’ll get a response. Marsha Dunkel told me she contacted Meta twice to report an impersonating account, and as of publication time, the account is still active. Spotted an AI Clone? Here's Your 5-Step Emergency Response If you spot a deepfake version of yourself online, it’s important to react immediately. Dunlap offered five steps that creators should take right away when they find someone using their likeness online: 1. Record Evidence Immediately Don’t wait until after you’ve reported a copycat account to the social or video platform, because the account holder may make the video private to avoid detection. Take screenshots and screen recordings, and keep them for your lawyer, customer service, or, in some cases, law enforcement. 2. Report the User on the Platform After gathering evidence, Dunlap recommended contacting the website or app where the deepfake was posted. Your mileage may vary with the platform’s community or the customer support team's responsiveness. 3. Immediately Post a Response on Your Channel Let your community, family, and friends know about the deepfake incident so they aren’t fooled by the fraudulent account that algorithms are likely to recommend to them, especially if they already follow you. 4. Talk to Your Lawyer About Civil Remedies Dunlap doesn’t recommend using your divorce attorney or estate lawyer for cases like these. A lawyer who specializes in trademarks or copyright law will be the best person to handle cases like this. 5. Report the Incident to the FBI on Its Website You can visit the Internet Crime Complaint Center https://ic3.gov to report online crimes of all kinds, including deepfakes.