The Pulse
Manhattan DA Bragg Announces Seizures of Celebrity Deepfake Websites
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is set to announce the seizure of websites tied to celebrity deepfake content on September 14, 2026. The office has released no written details about the sites, operators, charges or legal basis ahead
AI.info Team ·
Bragg schedules announcement on celebrity deepfake sites
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office says it will announce the seizure of websites connected to celebrity deepfake content on Monday, September 14, 2026. The office posted the announcement ahead of a 1 p.m. presentation and embedded a video livestream on its website.
The notice identifies the targets only as “celebrity deepfake websites.” It does not name the websites, describe the material involved, identify any operators or state whether prosecutors have filed criminal charges. The announcement also does not specify whether the action covers website domains, servers, financial accounts or other assets.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office notice remains the primary public source for the event. Its page contains a headline, the September 14 date and a video embed, but no accompanying press release with investigative findings.
What the office has confirmed
Seizure language generally indicates that prosecutors have taken legal control of an online property or caused a notice to be displayed in place of its original content. The announcement itself does not provide the warrant information, court, statutory authority or technical mechanism behind the planned action.
That distinction matters in a case involving synthetic sexual or defamatory material. A site can host content, provide search or generation tools, sell access, or serve as an advertising and payment hub. Without the office’s fuller presentation, the public record does not establish which of those functions the seized websites performed.
New York prosecutors have expanded cybercrime work
Bragg’s office has previously described its Cyber Crime Bureau as handling computer crimes and cyber-enabled offenses, including illicit online marketplaces, cryptocurrency theft, account takeovers and the use of artificial intelligence to facilitate criminal activity. The bureau was created as an expanded cybercrime practice in September 2024, according to the office’s public materials.
In September 2025, the office announced the seizure of 12 domains tied to five online vendors that it said sold stolen payment-card information. That case involved websites used as structured marketplaces and included an ongoing investigation into people who operated or accessed them. The earlier action shows how the office has used domain seizures alongside broader cybercrime investigations, but it does not establish that the celebrity deepfake case follows the same pattern.
The missing details will define the case
The pending announcement is expected to clarify whether the websites distributed non-consensual sexual imagery, impersonation material, fraudulent endorsements or another type of synthetic media. It may also establish whether prosecutors are pursuing criminal charges against identified people, seeking forfeiture of assets, or using the seizures to disrupt sites whose operators remain unknown.
No written quotation from Bragg or another official appears in the material opened for this report. Until the district attorney’s office publishes its findings or provides the details during the scheduled presentation, the confirmed fact is limited: Manhattan prosecutors are announcing seizures involving celebrity deepfake websites on September 14, 2026.