{"meta":{"exportedAt":"2026-09-30T05:36:52.851Z","formatVersion":2,"selection":{"q":"persona","system":"","harm":"","context":"","country":"","role":"","relation":"","evidence":"","year":"2026","response":"","severity":"","verification":"","view":"incidents","sort":"added"},"totalIncidents":47,"coverage":{"cases":47,"countries":15,"languages":13,"unknownLocation":8,"locationPending":0,"unknownLanguage":0,"unknownDate":0,"lawsuits":1,"regulatory":18,"minors":7,"coreRelations":42,"contextualRelations":5,"mixedRelations":2,"unknownRelations":2,"relationPending":0,"relationUnknown":2},"countingNote":"Distinct public cases in this selection. People counts apply within individual cases only; cross-case person overlap has not been resolved. No population incidence estimate.","affectedCountNote":"Interpret person counts with affectedCountStatus and the reported effects. Unquantified zeros are placeholders, not a measured zero.","source":"AI incidents","publisher":"NOPE","url":"https://nope.net/incidents","license":"CC BY 4.0"},"incidents":[{"id":"2026-uk-grok-sexualised-images-two-women-police-cases-closed-no-suspect-identified","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Grok obliged, moulding her profile photo onto a nude body wrapped in see-through plastic'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Grok, the platform’s AI chatbot, obliged by moulding her profile photo onto a nude body in see-through plastic'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'were created using the chatbot and shared without her consent'; 'after speaking out, she saw AI-generated images of herself had been created without her consent'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Explicit or sexualised images of the presenter were generated with Grok at anonymous X users' request and posted on X without her consent around New Year 2026, after she had publicly criticised Grok.","causal_attribution":"The presenter's account to TBIJ/The Observer and, separately, to BBC Wales in January 2026; TBIJ inspected the requesting account."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'After reporting her case to South Wales Police on 2 January'; 'wasn’t invited to give a statement until March'; 'Her case was closed after the police requests to X went unanswered'; 'Despite the efforts of investigators, no suspect could be identified'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'the investigation was closed in May'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The presenter reported the image to South Wales Police on 2 January 2026; she was not asked for a statement until March, police requests to X went unanswered, and the case was closed (in May, per The Observer) with the force saying no suspect could be identified.","causal_attribution":"TBIJ's account from messages it saw and the presenter; South Wales Police's statement confirms an investigation and no identified suspect but does not address the X requests."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'about 300 images and videos of her posted during the Grok scandal'; 'the last of which was dealt with by the Metropolitan Police'; 'She reported several anonymous posts to the police'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'after exploring all viable lines of enquiry, no suspect could be identified'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The broadcaster estimates about 300 Grok-made images and videos of her were posted during the wave, including by the account that targeted the presenter; she reported several, one involving Jeffrey Epstein to the Metropolitan Police, which said no suspect could be identified.","causal_attribution":"The broadcaster's estimate and the Met's statement, both via the TBIJ/Observer investigation."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'is now in pre-action legal correspondence with xAI, part of SpaceXAI, alleging misuse of her private information'; 'It has not been possible, in the time available, to look into any communications with South Wales Police'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'is now in pre-action legal correspondence with SpacexAI'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The presenter is in pre-action legal correspondence with xAI (SpaceXAI) alleging misuse of private information and breaches of data-protection law and the Equality Act; the company said it had not been possible in the time available to look into its communications with South Wales Police.","causal_attribution":"Reported from the correspondence described by TBIJ and the presenter's lawyer; no claim has been filed."}],"effects":[{"label":"a sexualised image of her generated by Grok from her profile photo at an anonymous user's request and posted on X","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"},{"label":"about 300 Grok-made images and videos of her posted to humiliate her","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"},{"label":"police investigations closed with no suspect identified after X did not answer information requests","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026-09-29/grok-deepfakes-police-justice","kind":"investigative_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-30 (TBIJ, 29 September 2026, by Lydia Morrish); the original investigation, with police and company statements.","independence_group":"tbij-observer-investigation"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/the-women-taking-on-the-tech-giants-over-deepfakes-and-digital-abuse","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-30 (The Observer, 29 September 2026, same reporter, published in partnership with TBIJ); adds the May closure date.","independence_group":"tbij-observer-investigation"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98p4214577o","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-30 (BBC Wales, 13 January 2026, updated 14 January); interview with the presenter during the wave.","independence_group":"bbc-wales-january-2026"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["privacy","justice","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["Who requested the images and where they were located.","Whether X answered any later police request.","Whether the presenter files a claim and its outcome.","Dates of the individual images and videos of the broadcaster; The Observer places them 'during the Grok scandal over Christmas', so the series may have begun in late December 2025, before the presenter's dated 2 January 2026 report."],"geography":{"basis":"The presenter reported to South Wales Police and is described by TBIJ in her bedroom in Wales; the broadcaster reported to the Metropolitan Police (TBIJ). The images were generated on X at the request of anonymous accounts whose locations are not established (TBIJ says some accounts in the cases it examined were clearly UK-based), so no event country is recorded. No court proceeding yet.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":[],"affected_person_countries":["GB"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a core case (Grok-generated sexualised images of two adult public figures, requested by anonymous users, with police investigations closed without a suspect). Both women spoke on the record to TBIJ and The Observer; the presenter also to BBC Wales in January 2026. The images are not reproduced or described beyond the sources' wording.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-30"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"TBIJ inspected the X account and posts that requested the images and describes Grok's automatic public reply; The presenter described the image to TBIJ and, in January 2026, to BBC Wales; South Wales Police and the Metropolitan Police confirm investigations into the reports. Grok's role in generating and posting the images is not disputed by any party quoted; xAI did not respond to TBIJ.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"UK: Grok-made sexualised images of a Welsh presenter and campaigner against deepfake abuse and of a commentator and broadcaster, requested by anonymous X accounts around New Year 2026; South Wales Police and the Metropolitan Police closed their investigations without identifying a suspect after X did not answer information requests; the presenter is in pre-action correspondence with xAI","summary":"The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and The Observer reported on 29 September 2026 that police investigations into sexualised images generated by X's chatbot Grok had failed to identify anyone. A Welsh presenter and campaigner against deepfake abuse, who had criticised Grok publicly on New Year's Eve 2025, saw an anonymous X user ask '@grok' to put her in a bikini made of cling film; Grok generated the image from her profile photo and posted it. She reported it to South Wales Police on 2 January 2026, was not asked for a statement until March, and was told officers had not heard back from X; the case was closed (in May, per The Observer) with the force saying no suspect could be identified. The same account also targeted a commentator and broadcaster, who estimates about 300 Grok images and videos of her were posted during the wave, including one alongside Jeffrey Epstein reported to the Metropolitan Police, which likewise said no suspect could be identified. The presenter is now in pre-action legal correspondence with xAI (part of SpaceXAI) alleging misuse of private information and breaches of data-protection law and the Equality Act; the company told her lawyers it had not been possible in the time available to look into its communications with South Wales Police. BBC Wales had reported in January 2026 that explicit images of the presenter were created with the chatbot and shared without her consent.","incidentDate":"2026-01-02","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-01-13","aiSystem":"Grok (xAI) image generation on X, responding to public '@grok' requests by editing the targeted women's photographs and posting the results","aiProduct":"Grok","aiCompany":"xAI (SpaceXAI)","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse","psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Two women, a presenter and campaigner and a broadcaster, had sexualised images of themselves generated by Grok at anonymous users' request and posted on X; the presenter calls the experience terrifying and her lawyers say the company's failure to help the police aggravated her distress; the broadcaster says the images were designed to humiliate her; both police investigations closed without a suspect after X did not answer requests (TBIJ; The Observer; BBC Wales).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":2,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"Two depicted people, a presenter and campaigner and a commentator and broadcaster (TBIJ; The Observer). The MP also interviewed by TBIJ is counted in her own case (2026-asato-v-xai-grok). Exact 2.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"GB","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026-09-29/grok-deepfakes-police-justice","primarySourceLabel":"The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, 29 September 2026: Failed by the police, Grok deepfake victims are seeking justice themselves","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:49.631225+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:49.631225+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["grok","xai","x-twitter","deepfakes","non-consensual-intimate-images","ai-generated-images","police","south-wales-police","metropolitan-police","ofcom","uk","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-chiang-mai-airport-woman-66-ai-generated-pilot-persona-facebook","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'เข้าช่วยเหลือคุณยายวัย 66 ปี ชาว จ.ลำปาง หลังเดินทางมาคนเดียวเพื่อรอพบชายชื่อ “ชัย” ซึ่งอ้างว่าเป็นนักบิน'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'จะมาพบคนชื่อชัย เป็นนักบินที่สนามบินเชียงใหม่'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'พบผู้สูงอายุเดินทางมาเพียงลำพังเพื่อรอพบชายชื่อ \"ชัย\" ซึ่งอ้างว่าเป็นนักบิน'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"On the evening of 16 September 2026 a 66-year-old woman from Lampang was found waiting alone at Chiang Mai airport for a man called 'Chai' who she said was a pilot, having travelled by bus and tuk-tuk to meet him.","causal_attribution":"Chiang Mai Tourist Police account, relayed by several outlets."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'คุณยายหลงรักตัวละครที่สร้างจากระบบปัญญาประดิษฐ์ (AI) บน Facebook และเข้าใจว่ามีตัวตนอยู่จริง'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'เมื่อเจ้าหน้าที่ขอดูภาพบุคคลปรากฏเป็นภาพ AI ใน facebook จึงขอให้ตำรวจท่องเที่ยวช่วยประสานญาติ'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'ได้เสพสื่อโซเชียลมีเดียบน Facebook จนเกิดความหลงรักตัวละครที่สร้างจากระบบปัญญาประดิษฐ์ (AI) และเข้าใจผิดคิดว่ามีตัวตนอยู่จริง'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'เมื่อเจ้าหน้าที่ตรวจสอบรูปภาพกลับพบว่าเป็นภาพ AI'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"When officers looked at the man's picture it was an AI-generated image on Facebook; police concluded she had fallen in love with an AI-created character and believed it was a real person.","causal_attribution":"Police assessment on inspecting the picture; who operated the account is not reported."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'เจ้าหน้าที่เร่งประสานบุตรชาย หลังครอบครัวไม่ทราบว่าคุณยายเดินทางออกนอกพื้นที่'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'ทางตำรวจท่องเที่ยวเชียงใหม่จึงได้โทรไปบอก ซึ่งไม่ทราบว่าแม่เดินทางมาเชียงใหม่'; 'เช้าวันนี้ ( 17 กันยายน 69 ) ทางเจ้าหน้าที่ได้พาคุณยายนั่งส่งรถแท็กซี่เพื่อไปยังอาเขต'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'ผู้สูงอายุใช้ภาษาชนเผ่าเป็นหลักและพูดจาสับสน'; 'ก่อนจะอำนวยความสะดวกประสานงานส่งตัวกลับภูมิลำเนาอย่างปลอดภัยในวันรุ่งขึ้น'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Communication was difficult because she mainly speaks a hill-tribe language and was confused; police reached her son, who had not known she had left; she stayed overnight in the terminal and was sent home by bus on the morning of 17 September.","causal_attribution":"Police account."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'รู้จักกับนายชัยผ่านเฟซบุ๊ก ซึ่งอ้างตัวเป็นนักบินประจำสนามบินเชียงใหม่ และหลอกว่าจะนำเครื่องสำอางจากต่างประเทศมาฝาก'; 'เจ้าหน้าที่คาดว่าอาจตกเป็นเหยื่อของแก๊งสแกมเมอร์'; 'สังเกตเห็นภรรยาพูดคุยโทรศัพท์เป็นเวลานานอยู่บ่อยครั้ง และล่าสุดภรรยาบอกว่าจะเดินทางไปพบแพทย์ที่โรงพยาบาลใน จ.เชียงใหม่'; 'จะเร่งตรวจสอบข้อมูลโทรศัพท์ บัญชีเฟซบุ๊ก และประวัติการติดต่อทั้งหมด'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"Kom Chad Luek reports that she had come to know 'Chai' through Facebook, that he claimed to be a pilot based at Chiang Mai airport and said he would bring her cosmetics from abroad, that officials thought she might be a scammer gang's target, that her husband had noticed her long phone conversations and had been told she was going to a hospital appointment in Chiang Mai, and that her son said he would check her phone, Facebook account and contact history.","causal_attribution":"Kom Chad Luek's own reporting from the family home; the husband's and son's statements."}],"effects":[{"label":"deceived by an AI-generated 'pilot' persona into a lone cross-province journey and stranded overnight at an airport","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.matichon.co.th/local/news_5892707","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"th","translation_note":"Read live in Thai on 2026-09-30 (Matichon, 17 September 2026); relays the Chiang Mai Tourist Police account. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"chiang-mai-tourist-police"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.amarintv.com/news/social/557772","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"th","translation_note":"Read live in Thai on 2026-09-30 (Amarin TV, 17 September 2026); names the reporting Tourist Police officer and adds the son's call and the return arrangements. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"chiang-mai-tourist-police"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://today.line.me/th/v3/article/7Nvkp2Q","kind":"police_social_post_relay","access":"read","language":"th","translation_note":"Read live in Thai on 2026-09-30: the Chiang Mai Tourist Police post as republished by FM91 on LINE Today, 17 September 2026. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"chiang-mai-tourist-police"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.thaipbs.or.th/program/WanmaiThaiPBS/watch/288401","kind":"broadcaster_programme_page","access":"read","language":"th","translation_note":"Read live in Thai on 2026-09-30: Thai PBS morning-programme page for 18 September 2026 with a written summary of the segment; the video was not watched. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"chiang-mai-tourist-police"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.komchadluek.net/news/crime/622937","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"th","translation_note":"Read live in Thai on 2026-09-30 (Kom Chad Luek, 17 September 2026, crime desk): the Tourist Police account plus the husband's and son's comments at the family home in Lampang. The woman, her son, her ethnic group and her district are named there and withheld here. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"komchadluek-family-interview"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["relationships","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["Who operated the Facebook account and whether the messages and phone conversations came from a person or an automated system; Kom Chad Luek describes a man, Siam Blockchain's headline calls the chat partner AI, and the police described only the picture as AI.","Whether any money or gifts were requested or sent.","Whether a complaint was filed about the account."],"geography":{"basis":"She was found at Chiang Mai International Airport, Thailand, having travelled from Lampang province, where she lives (Matichon; Amarin TV). No court is involved.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["TH"],"affected_person_countries":["TH"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an adverse everyday experience involving an AI-generated persona (an elderly woman deceived into a lone journey and stranded overnight); the AI system's relation to her is unknown. The account is the Chiang Mai Tourist Police's, relayed by Thai outlets. Her name, district and ethnic group are withheld.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-30"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Chiang Mai Tourist Police say the picture of the man she came to meet was an AI-generated image on Facebook and that she had fallen for an AI-created character (Matichon; Amarin TV; the police post via FM91; Thai PBS). Kom Chad Luek's own report describes a man claiming to be a pilot and does not mention AI. No forensic analysis is reported and the account was not identified. Thai PBS says she talked with a man claiming to be a pilot, and her husband describes long phone conversations (Kom Chad Luek), so she was in two-way contact with someone; no source establishes whether that was a person using the image or an automated account, so the relation is recorded as unknown.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["unknown"]},"name":"Chiang Mai, Thailand: a 66-year-old woman from Lampang travelled alone to Chiang Mai airport on 16 September 2026 to meet a 'pilot' she had fallen for on Facebook; tourist police found his picture was AI-generated, contacted her son and sent her home the next morning","summary":"At about 8 pm on 16 September 2026, airport security and Chiang Mai Tourist Police found a 66-year-old woman from Lampang province waiting alone in the passenger terminal of Chiang Mai airport for a man called 'Chai', who she said was a pilot she had come to meet. She had travelled by bus from Lampang and taken a tuk-tuk to the airport. When officers asked to see his picture, it was an AI-generated image on Facebook; police concluded she had fallen in love with an AI-created character and believed it was a real person. Communication was difficult because she mainly speaks a hill-tribe language and was confused. Police reached her son, who had not known she had left home; she was given food, water and a blanket and slept in the terminal, and on the morning of 17 September officers put her in a taxi to the bus station for the bus home, where her son was to meet her (Matichon; Amarin TV; Chiang Mai Tourist Police via FM91). Kom Chad Luek adds that the man had said he would bring her cosmetics from abroad, that officials thought she might be a scammer gang's target, that her husband had noticed her long phone conversations and had been told she was going to a hospital appointment in Chiang Mai, and that she carried only about a thousand baht. No financial loss is reported.","incidentDate":"2026-09-16","incidentEndDate":"2026-09-17","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-17","aiSystem":"AI-generated images of a fictitious 'pilot' on a Facebook profile (per Chiang Mai Tourist Police); whether she exchanged messages with a person or an automated account is not reported","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["other_material_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"An elderly woman was deceived by an AI-generated 'pilot' persona on Facebook into a lone cross-province journey, waited in vain at an airport and was stranded overnight until police contacted her family (Chiang Mai Tourist Police via Matichon, Amarin TV and FM91).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, the 66-year-old woman (Matichon; Amarin TV). Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"elderly","jurisdiction":"TH","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"media_coverage","outcomeStatus":"resolved","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.matichon.co.th/local/news_5892707","primarySourceLabel":"มติชน (Matichon), 17 September 2026: หญิงวัย 66 ปี นั่งรถข้ามจว. ตามเสียงหัวใจ รอเจอ ‘หนุ่มนักบิน’ ก่อนพบความจริง ตกหลุมรัก AI","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:42.313455+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:42.313455+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["ai-generated-images","fake-persona","romance-scam","elderly","facebook","thailand","chiang-mai","tourist-police"]},{"id":"2026-begusarai-bihar-ai-video-blackmail-sexual-assault-complaint","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'AI की मदद से मेरा न्यूड वीडियो बनाया और मुझे भेज दिया। वह मुझे ब्लैकमेल करना चाहता था'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'पीड़िता को एक फेक AI जेनरेटेड अश्लील वीडियो बनाकर भेज दिया और उससे बातचीत करने के लिए दबाव बनाने लगा'; 'लगातार AI वीडियो के जरिए ब्लैकमेल करता रहा'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'दोनों आरोपियों ने पहले AI की मदद से उसका एक फर्जी अश्लील वीडियो तैयार किया था'; 'इसी वीडियो को सार्वजनिक करने की धमकी देकर उससे पैसे मांगे गए'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'the two men had earlier used artificial intelligence to create a fake nude video of her and threatened to circulate it'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"Four to five months before 27 September 2026 (three to four months, per her lawyer), a fake nude video of the woman was made with AI and sent to her to blackmail her. In her interview she attributes it to the first accused (Dainik Bhaskar); her complaint as reported by newstrack and Dynamite News attributes it to both accused and adds that they threatened to make it public and demanded money.","causal_attribution":"The complainant's account, her lawyer's account and her complaint as reported; the video was not inspected and police have not characterised it in the read sources."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'गेट बंद कर दी और चाकू का डर दिखाकर जबरदस्ती करने लगा'; 'तो उसने मेरा रेप किया और पूरी घटना का वीडियो भी बना लिया'; 'गले में फंदा लगाकर मेरी हत्या की कोशिश भी की'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'होटल के कमरे में ले जाकर आरोपियों ने दरवाजा बंद कर दिया तथा चाकू का भय दिखाकर पीड़िता के साथ जबरन दुष्कर्म किया और वीडियो बनाकर वायरल कर दिया'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'उसे धारदार हथियार दिखाकर डराया गया और उसके साथ दुष्कर्म किया गया'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"On 27 September 2026 the two men took her to a hotel room in Begusarai on the pretext of talking about the video; she says the first accused locked the door, threatened her with a knife, beat her, raped her while filming, and put a noose round her neck, and that she survived by locking herself in the bathroom.","causal_attribution":"Her account and complaint; Prabhat Khabar relays the complaint through the police. Hotel CCTV timings reported by police place the first accused and the woman in the room between about 7:33 am and 12:33 pm; the accused have not responded in the read reporting."},{"id":"c3","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'मामले से संबंधित मारपीट का वीडियो सोशल मीडिया पर वायरल होने के बाद पुलिस ने जांच शुरू की थी'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'घटना से जुड़ा एक वीडियो भी सोशल मीडिया पर सामने आया है'; 'वीडियो की स्वतंत्र पुष्टि नहीं हुई है'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'टेबल पर मोबाइल एडजस्ट कर खुद पिटाई का वीडियो बनाया और उसे सोशल मीडिया पर पोस्ट कर दिया'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"A video showing the woman being beaten circulated on social media; police said inquiries began after it went viral, and newstrack said it had not verified the video.","causal_attribution":"Police (via Prabhat Khabar) and newstrack independently report the circulating video; newstrack says it had not verified it. The complainant says the accused filmed and posted it."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'पहले से AI के जरिए बनाए गए वीडियो और मारपीट के वीडियो को अलग-अलग वॉट्सएप ग्रुप में शेयर कर दिया'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'समूह के ग्रुप में डालकर वायरल कर दिया'; 'आरोपी ने पीड़िता का मोबाइल फोन भी तोड़कर खराब कर दिया, क्योंकि उसमें उसका भेजा हुआ AI वीडियो मौजूद था'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"She says the AI-made video and the assault video were sent from her phone to WhatsApp groups, including her self-help group's group, and that her phone was broken because it held the AI video.","causal_attribution":"Her account and her lawyer's; the police statement that the WhatsApp number used to circulate the video was blocked (Dainik Bhaskar) does not say which videos it carried."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'आवेदन के आधार पर नगर थाना कांड संख्या 451/26 दर्ज किया गया'; 'पुलिस ने एक नामजद आरोपी को गिरफ्तार किया है, जबकि दूसरे की गिरफ्तारी के लिए छापेमारी जारी है'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'28 सितंबर को दिन भर पीड़िता थानों का चक्कर लगाती रही बाद में एसपी के आदेश पर देर रात प्राथमिकी नगर थाने में दर्ज की गई'; 'दो नामजद आरोपी में से एक को गिरफ्तार कर लिया गया है'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'मामले की जांच को लेकर विशेष जांच टीम (SIT) का गठन किया गया है'; 'को नेपाल भागने के दौरान और उसके रिश्तेदार'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"An FIR was registered at Begusarai Nagar police station late on 28 September 2026 (case 451/26) after she spent the day going between police stations; the SP formed a special investigation team, hotel CCTV and the entry register were seized, one accused was reported arrested by the evening of 29 September (Prabhat Khabar; NewsTak) and the other, per Dainik Bhaskar on 30 September, while fleeing towards Nepal.","causal_attribution":"Police statements relayed by three outlets (the SP is quoted by NewsTak and Dainik Bhaskar); the delay in registering the FIR is her lawyer's account."}],"effects":[{"label":"blackmailed with an AI-made fake nude video of her that was later circulated","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"},{"label":"beaten and raped in a hotel room, with the assault filmed and circulated, per her complaint","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.bhaskar.com/local/bihar/begusarai/news/begusarai-jivika-didi-rape-blackmail-ai-video-case-updates-139196091.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"hi","translation_note":"Read live in Hindi on 2026-09-30 (Dainik Bhaskar, Begusarai correspondent, 30 September 2026): the woman's first-person account, her lawyer, and the SP. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"complainant-account"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.prabhatkhabar.com/state/bihar/begusarai/begusarai-blue-diamond-hotel-case-sit-formed-accused-arrested","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"hi","translation_note":"Read live in Hindi on 2026-09-30 (Prabhat Khabar, 29 September 2026): police account of the complaint, FIR number, SIT, CCTV and the first arrest. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"begusarai-police"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.newstak.in/bihar/story/begusarai-hotel-case-rohit-kumar-viral-video-ai-blackmail-full-details-brytgc-3288643-2026-09-29","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"hi","translation_note":"Read live in Hindi on 2026-09-30 (NewsTak, 29 September 2026): the complainant's lawyer's account and the SP's statement. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"complainant-account"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://newstrack.com/amp/bihar/begusarai-woman-rape-hotel-ai-generated-obscene-video-blackmail-635806","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"hi","translation_note":"Read live in Hindi on 2026-09-30 (newstrack.com, 29 September 2026, AMP page): the complaint as reported and the circulating video. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"complainant-account"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.dynamitenews.com/crime/begusarai-woman-assaulted-for-hours-over-threat-to-leak-ai-generated-video","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-30 (Dynamite News, 29 September 2026); relays the complaint and cites the Times of India for the video.","independence_group":"complainant-account"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["everyday_life","privacy","justice"],"unknowns":["Which tool made the earlier video and whether police have examined it.","Whether the accused have been charged or produced in court, and any response from them.","How widely the videos spread and whether they have been taken down."],"geography":{"basis":"The hotel is in Begusarai town, Bihar, and the FIR was registered at Begusarai Nagar police station (Prabhat Khabar; Dainik Bhaskar); the complainant lives in the same district (Dainik Bhaskar). No court proceeding is reported yet.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["IN"],"affected_person_countries":["IN"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a core case (an AI-made fake nude video depicting a real person, used to blackmail her, followed by a reported violent sexual assault and circulation of the videos). The account is the complainant's, through her interview, her lawyer and her FIR, with police confirming the FIR, investigation team and arrests. The woman is not named; the accused, hotel and room are not identified here; no sexual detail beyond the complaint's substance is reproduced.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-30"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The complainant says the first accused made a nude video of her 'with the help of AI' four to five months earlier and sent it to her (Dainik Bhaskar); her lawyer calls it a fake AI-generated obscene video (NewsTak); her complaint as reported by newstrack and Dynamite News says the same. The police statements read (Prabhat Khabar; the SP via NewsTak and Dainik Bhaskar) describe the assault video and the arrests and do not characterise the earlier video. The video was not inspected and no tool is named.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Begusarai, Bihar: a 22-year-old woman says a man who had pursued her made a fake nude video of her with AI months earlier to blackmail her, then on 27 September 2026 he and a relative took her to a hotel room where she was beaten and raped and the videos were circulated; FIR registered, SIT formed, both accused arrested","summary":"A 22-year-old woman in Begusarai district, Bihar, told police, her lawyer and Dainik Bhaskar that a man from the village of her maternal relatives, who had pursued her and been refused, made a nude video of her with AI about four to five months earlier and sent it to her in an attempt to blackmail her. On the morning of 27 September 2026, she says, his brother-in-law, her neighbour, gave her a motorcycle lift while she was out collecting self-help-group dues and took her to meet him, and the two men led her into a hotel room 'to talk' about the video. In her account the room was locked, she was threatened with a knife, beaten and raped, the assault was filmed, a noose was put round her neck, and the AI-made video and the assault video were sent to WhatsApp groups, including her self-help group's; she hid in the bathroom until the man left. A video of the beating spread on social media. After she spent 28 September going between police stations, an FIR was registered at Begusarai Nagar police station late that night (case 451/26); the SP formed a special investigation team, seized hotel CCTV and the entry register, and one accused was reported arrested by the evening of 29 September (Prabhat Khabar; NewsTak). Dainik Bhaskar reported on 30 September that the main accused had been arrested while fleeing towards Nepal. The AI element rests on the complainant's account; the police statements read describe the assault video and the arrests without characterising the earlier video.","incidentDate":"2026-09-27","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-29","aiSystem":"AI-generated fake nude video of the complainant, sent to her months before the assault (her account; tool not identified)","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse","physical_injury","psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A woman says she was blackmailed with an AI-made fake nude video and then beaten and raped in a hotel room, with the AI video and the assault video circulated to WhatsApp groups (her complaint and account via Dainik Bhaskar, NewsTak and newstrack; police confirm the FIR, SIT and arrests).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, the complainant (Dainik Bhaskar; Prabhat Khabar). Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"IN","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.bhaskar.com/local/bihar/begusarai/news/begusarai-jivika-didi-rape-blackmail-ai-video-case-updates-139196091.html","primarySourceLabel":"Dainik Bhaskar (Begusarai), 30 September 2026: AI वीडियो बनाकर ब्लैकमेलिंग, होटल में रेप: बाथरूम में बंद होकर बचाई जान","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:38.672044+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:38.672044+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfakes","ai-generated-video","sextortion","blackmail","sexual-violence","bihar","india","fir","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-italy-fideuram-chairman-ai-cloned-lawyer-voice-ceo-impersonation-fraud","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Il 23 febbraio scorso, Molesini era stato contattato con un \"messaggio WhatsApp\" da un \"soggetto che, pur chiamandolo da un numero diverso da quello a lui noto, affermava di essere Carlo Messina, Ceo di Intesa\".'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Tutto precipita in una manciata di ore di febbraio 2026, quando Molesini, allora presidente di Fideuram, riceve (in realtà crede di ricevere, come amaramente si renderà conto di lì a poco) un messaggio WhatsApp da Carlo Messina, amministratore della capogruppo Banca Intesa.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'veniva contattato sul proprio cellulare aziendale, tramite messaggio Whatsapp da un soggetto che, pur chiamandolo da un numero diverso da quello a lui noto, affermava essere Carlo Messina.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'La truffa ai danni di Fideuram, secondo la ricostruzione contenuta in un decreto di sequestro del Tribunale di Milano, comincia il 23 febbraio 2026.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"On 23 February 2026 Molesini, then chairman of Fideuram, received a WhatsApp message from a number different from the one he knew, from someone claiming to be Intesa Sanpaolo CEO Carlo Messina, announcing that a lawyer would call him to conclude a confidential acquisition of an international bank through Fideuram.","causal_attribution":"ANSA and Il Fatto Quotidiano quote the investigating judge's decree; Corriere reconstructs the same contact from the court papers. Messina is described by all sources as extraneous to the scheme."},{"id":"c2","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Quell'avvocato, con voce finta creata con l'IA, poi lo contattò e gli fece firmare, con \"undici\" documenti inviati, \"un accordo di massima riservatezza\" e con procura speciale all'apparenza \"sottoscritta\" da Messina.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'È un avvocato d’affari che Moresini conosce, e se la voce gli sembra proprio quella è perché i truffatori l’hanno replicata ad arte con strumenti di intelligenza artificiale.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Nella stessa giornata un avvocato dello studio A&O Sherman chiama Molesini, ma è sempre l’IA che sta parlando.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'Con l'intelligenza artificiale era stata riprodotta la voce di Carlo Messina.'","relation":"context","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'C’è infine una tecnica che potrebbe aver contribuito alla truffa, ma sulla quale gli atti non offrono ancora una risposta: la possibile imitazione della voce.'","relation":"context","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"The same day a caller presenting as a lawyer of A&O Shearman whom Molesini knew, in a voice that ANSA, Il Fatto Quotidiano and Corriere della Sera describe as created with artificial intelligence, had him sign a confidentiality agreement and transmitted eleven payment instructions on the firm's letterhead with a power of attorney apparently signed by Messina.","causal_attribution":"The AI attribution comes from the court's reconstruction as relayed by three newsrooms; no recording, forensic finding or tool is reported. Corriere names the impersonated lawyer as Paolo Nastasi, managing partner of A&O Shearman Italia, wholly extraneous and unaware. Il Fatto Quotidiano's summary line attributing the AI voice to Messina (context evidence) conflicts with the decree passages it quotes."},{"id":"c3","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Ed è così che il direttore finanziario di Fideuram, a ciò istruito dal presidente di Fideuram, che a sua volta crede di realizzare il compito affidatogli dal numero uno di Banca Intesa, fa partire i soldi, per lo più verso Cina e Hong Kong.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Ciò che è reale sono i bonifici successivi per un totale di 95 milioni di euro che partono tra il 23 e il 25 febbraio.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'anche il responsabile della Tesoreria e \"dei pagamenti\" di Fideuram, lo stesso giorno, sarebbe stato contattato da una persona che fingeva di essere l'ad di Fideuram, il quale gli diceva che Molesini lo avrebbe chiamato per disporre \"bonifici urgenti e riservati\".'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Secondo il decreto, gli undici bonifici raggiungono complessivamente 95,18 milioni di euro.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"'Convinto della legittimità dell’operazione, Molesini aveva dato disposizione al direttore finanziario di Fideuram di eseguire i bonifici.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"Convinced of the operation, Molesini instructed Fideuram's finance and treasury head, who had himself been contacted by someone posing as Fideuram's CEO, to execute the transfers; eleven transfers totalling about 95 million euros left between 23 and 25 February 2026 to accounts in Portugal and at Bank of China.","causal_attribution":"The judge writes that Molesini and the treasurer were mutually convinced of the operation's urgency and confidentiality and did not contact the top management of Fideuram or Intesa (Il Fatto Quotidiano). The loss fell on the bank, not on Molesini personally."},{"id":"c4","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'La rapidità del riflesso reattivo viene premiata proprio da una banca in Cina, che blocca 40 milioni e li restituisce a Fideuram.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'All’appello, però, sinora mancano almeno 36 milioni volatilizzatisi nei vorticosi giri di conti esteri, e a un certo punto convertiti in criptovalute'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'con un tentativo di portare via alla banca del gruppo Intesa quasi 95 milioni, di cui, stando agli atti, ora mancano all'appello, però, solo 39,5 milioni'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Decreto con cui sono stati congelati oltre 13 milioni su una banca portoghese, mentre 42 li aveva già stoppati Fideuram su conti cinesi.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Ciò che ritorna a Fideuram sono i 42 milioni bonificati alla Bank of China. Dei restanti 52, solo 13 vengono bloccati da Bpi e poi messi sotto sequestro dal Tribunale.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'Il 25 febbraio, appena due giorni dopo il primo contatto, Banco BPI segnala a Fideuram la natura sospetta delle operazioni.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"'i sistemi di sicurezza interna di Fideuram si allertano rapidamente'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Fideuram's controls and the Portuguese bank raised the alarm; about 40-42 million euros sent to Bank of China were returned, 13 million were seized at Banco BPI in Portugal, and at least 36 million (39.5 million per the court papers) remain missing after being moved through foreign accounts and converted into cryptocurrency.","causal_attribution":"Figures differ between outlets: Corriere gives 40 million returned and at least 36 million missing; ANSA and Il Fatto Quotidiano, from the decree, give 42 million returned and 39.5 million missing."},{"id":"c5","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Fideuram - Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking ha reso noto che Paolo Molesini ha rassegnato le dimissioni dalla carica di presidente della società e di presidente di Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking, per ragioni personali.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'Intanto Molesini, non indagato e non destinatario di alcun contenzioso avviato dal proprio istituto, il 12 marzo scorso aveva comunque scelto di dimettersi da presidente (come informò un asettico comunicato di Fideuram) «per ragioni personali».'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Molesini, che non è indagato e non ha ricevuto contestazioni da parte dell’istituto, aveva annunciato a marzo le proprie dimissioni dalla presidenza di Fideuram «per ragioni personali».'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"Fideuram announced on 12 March 2026 that Molesini had resigned as chairman of Fideuram - Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking and of Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking for personal reasons.","causal_attribution":"The company's stated reason is personal; the announcement did not mention the fraud."},{"id":"c6","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Il manager coinvolto, una volta resosi conto dell’accaduto, ha deciso di rassegnare le dimissioni.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s8"},{"locator":"'Ma il povero presidente ha dovuto presentare le dimissioni.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"'il 12 marzo scorso aveva comunque scelto di dimettersi da presidente'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Press accounts link the resignation to the fraud: Corriere writes that he had nonetheless chosen to resign, Milano Finanza that once he realised what had happened he decided to resign, and today.it that he had to resign.","causal_attribution":"Journalistic attribution; neither Fideuram nor Molesini has publicly linked the resignation to the fraud in the inspected sources."},{"id":"c7","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Nel caso di Molesini, che si è dimesso a marzo, è indagato come uno dei componenti della banda un cittadino israeliano di 48 anni.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'è risalita almeno a un 48enne israeliano correlato a uno dei conti esteri dove sono atterrati 4 milioni'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"'le rogatorie serviranno a verificare se i suoi documenti corrispondano veramente a una persona in carne ed ossa'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"A 48-year-old Israeli citizen is under investigation as a member of the gang, named in the investigating judge's seizure decree that froze over 13 million euros at a Portuguese bank; investigators are pursuing the funds with international letters rogatory.","causal_attribution":"Corriere notes it is unverified whether the suspect's identity documents correspond to a real person."},{"id":"c8","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Intanto Molesini, non indagato e non destinatario di alcun contenzioso avviato dal proprio istituto'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Molesini, che non è indagato e non ha ricevuto contestazioni da parte dell’istituto'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"Corriere della Sera writes that Molesini is not under investigation and is not the target of any litigation by his institution.","causal_attribution":"Corriere's statement, relayed by La Stampa and others; ANSA and Il Fatto Quotidiano do not address it."}],"effects":[{"label":"deceived by a phone call in an AI-cloned voice and impersonation messages into ordering about 95 million euros of transfers, of which at least 36 million remain missing; resigned as chairman on 12 March 2026, weeks later","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/26_settembre_25/fideuram-truffa-falso-messaggio-whatsapp-molesini-milioni-d5248b46-a7e7-4130-8c74-e09be5e00xlk.shtml","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-30 (Corriere della Sera Milano, 25 September 2026, byline Luigi Ferrarella; the original reconstruction from the court papers, credited by Il Sole 24 Ore, La Stampa, Il Post, Tgcom24 and Bluerating). Researcher translation.","independence_group":"corriere-ferrarella"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/cronaca/2026/09/25/truffa-da-395-milioni-allex-capo-di-fideuram-un-indagato_f747847d-aaa5-4f5f-9bee-1d476b6bea1e.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-30 (ANSA, 25 September 2026; the earlier ANSA URL 'lex-capo-di-fideuram-truffato-con-whatsapp-e-ia-spariti-36-milioni' redirects to this updated item). Quotes the investigating judge's decree directly ('stando agli atti'). Researcher translation.","independence_group":"ansa-decree-read"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2026/09/25/una-telefonata-dallad-di-intesa-via-ai-bonifici-per-95-milioni-ma-era-tutto-finto-la-storia-della-truffa-a-fideuram-indagato-informatico-israeliano/8518472/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-30 (Il Fatto Quotidiano, 25 September 2026). Credits Corriere for the story but quotes the five-page seizure decree at length with details absent from Corriere and ANSA (transfer dates and beneficiaries, the real CEO's warning call). Its headline attributes the AI voice to Messina, contrary to the decree passages it quotes. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"fatto-decree-read"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.lastampa.it/cronaca/2026/09/25/news/fideuram_truffa_36_milioni_whatsapp_voce_clonata_ai_molesini-15748791/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-30 (La Stampa, 25 September 2026); explicitly a rewrite of Corriere della Sera's reconstruction. Researcher translation. Its HTML page title reads 'voce del ceo clonata con l'AI', contrary to its own body, which attributes the cloned voice to the lawyer.","independence_group":"corriere-ferrarella"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/economia/risparmio_Investimenti/2026/03/12/paolo-molesini-lascia-la-carica-di-presidente-di-fideuram_34e2dec8-5bba-4ca3-b569-aa638d534e2e.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-30 (ANSA, 12 March 2026); relays Fideuram's announcement of the resignation. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"fideuram-announcement"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/26_settembre_26/truffa-fideuram-ifis-frodi-14e046de-a157-4b21-aaf7-444b75961xlk.shtml","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-30 (Corriere della Sera Milano, 26 September 2026); follow-up on the suspect and the money trail; the page's paywall banner appears after the article text, which was complete. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"corriere-ferrarella"},{"id":"s7","url":"https://www.today.it/dossier/economia/banca-fideuram-truffa-milioni-spariti-come-hanno-fatto.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-30 (today.it, 29 September 2026); cites the Milan seizure decree for the transfer dates and the 95.18 million total. It names Fideuram's treasury head, who is not named in this record. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"today-decree-read"},{"id":"s8","url":"https://www.milanofinanza.it/news/fideuram-intesa-sanpaolo-l-ex-presidente-paolo-molesini-vittima-di-una-truffa-da-36-milioni-202609251035572085","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live in Italian on 2026-09-30 (Milano Finanza, 25 September 2026); credits Corriere della Sera; cited only for its own statement linking the resignation to the fraud. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"corriere-ferrarella"},{"id":"s9","url":"https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/ai-messaging-scam-costs-italys-top-bank-intesa-millions-sources-say-2026-09-25/","kind":"news_report","access":"unavailable","language":"en","translation_note":"Not read: HTTP 401 on 2026-09-30 and no Internet Archive capture; the Google News title reads 'AI messaging scam costs Italy's top bank Intesa millions, sources say' (25 September 2026).","independence_group":"reuters-sources"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["work","finance"],"unknowns":["Which voice-cloning tool was used and whether any recording or forensic analysis of the call exists; the AI attribution rests on press accounts of the court papers (Corriere della Sera, ANSA, Il Fatto Quotidiano), while today.it, also citing the seizure decree, writes that the court papers do not yet answer whether the voice was imitated.","Whether Molesini's resignation was connected to the fraud: Fideuram gave personal reasons and no source quotes Molesini on the point.","Whether the WhatsApp messages impersonating Messina and Fideuram's CEO or the emails involved any AI tool.","The exact unrecovered amount: 36 million (Corriere) or 39.5 million (ANSA and Il Fatto Quotidiano from the decree).","Whether the named suspect is a real person and whether other suspects have been identified; the Reuters report (sources) was not read."],"geography":{"basis":"The contact reached the chairman of Fideuram, a Milan-based Intesa Sanpaolo subsidiary, and the investigation is by the Milan prosecutors and investigating judge (ANSA; Corriere). Molesini was born in Feltre (ANSA, 12 March 2026) and his career is described in Milan (Il Gazzettino). The transfers went to accounts in Portugal and at Bank of China (Il Fatto Quotidiano) and the seizure in Portugal was obtained with Lisbon authorities under Eurojust, but the court order is the Milan judge's, so only IT is recorded as a court country.","court_countries":["IT"],"event_countries":["IT"],"affected_person_countries":["IT"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a core case: an AI-cloned voice communicated with the affected person (a bank chairman, named in his official capacity as all sources do) and impersonated a lawyer he knew, inducing him to order transfers of about 95 million euros, of which at least 36 million remain missing; he resigned on 12 March 2026, weeks later, announced as for personal reasons. Three independent reads of the Milan court papers (Corriere della Sera, ANSA, Il Fatto Quotidiano) plus the March resignation announcement (ANSA). The financial loss fell on the institution; the personal consequence recorded is the deception itself and the resignation as reported.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-30"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"ANSA ('Quell'avvocato, con voce finta creata con l'IA, poi lo contattò') and Il Fatto Quotidiano ('un avvocato dello studio A&O Sherman chiama Molesini, ma è sempre l'IA che sta parlando'), narrating the investigating judge's seizure decree, and Corriere della Sera's reconstruction from the court papers ('i truffatori l'hanno replicata ad arte con strumenti di intelligenza artificiale') describe the lawyer's voice on the call as created with AI. None of the decree passages these outlets quote verbatim contains the AI attribution, and today.it, which also cites the decree, writes that the court papers do not yet answer whether the voice was imitated ('sulla quale gli atti non offrono ancora una risposta: la possibile imitazione della voce'). No forensic detail, recording or tool is reported. The WhatsApp messages impersonating Messina and the Fideuram CEO and the emails are not described as AI-made in the decree passages quoted. Il Fatto Quotidiano's headline attributes the AI voice to Messina, which its own quoted decree passages do not support. The cloned voice spoke with Molesini (communicated_with) and impersonated the lawyer (depicted_or_impersonated).","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["communicated_with","depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Italy: Fideuram chairman Paolo Molesini is deceived by a WhatsApp impersonation of Intesa Sanpaolo's CEO and a phone call in the reportedly AI-cloned voice of a lawyer he knew into ordering about 95 million euros of transfers; at least 36 million remain missing and he resigned on 12 March 2026, weeks later","summary":"On 23 February 2026 Paolo Molesini, then chairman of Fideuram (the private-banking subsidiary of Intesa Sanpaolo), received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number from someone claiming to be Intesa's chief executive Carlo Messina, announcing a confidential acquisition that had to be executed through Fideuram. The same day a caller presenting as a lawyer of A&O Shearman whom Molesini knew, whose voice ANSA, Il Fatto Quotidiano and Corriere della Sera, reporting from the Milan court papers, describe as created with artificial intelligence (today.it, which also cites the seizure decree, writes that the court papers do not yet answer whether the voice was imitated), had him sign a confidentiality agreement and sent eleven payment instructions; Fideuram's treasury head was separately contacted by someone posing as Fideuram's CEO. Between 23 and 25 February eleven transfers totalling about 95 million euros went to accounts in Portugal and at Bank of China; the bank's alarm systems and the Milan prosecutors recovered about 40-42 million from China and 13 million seized in Portugal, leaving at least 36 million (39.5 million per the court papers) missing after conversion into cryptocurrency. Molesini, who Corriere writes is not under investigation, resigned as chairman on 12 March 2026, which Fideuram announced as being for personal reasons; a 48-year-old Israeli citizen is under investigation as a member of the gang.","incidentDate":"2026-02-23","incidentEndDate":"2026-02-25","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-09-25","aiSystem":"Voice of a business lawyer replicated with artificial-intelligence tools for a phone call to the Fideuram chairman, as described by Corriere della Sera, ANSA and Il Fatto Quotidiano in their accounts of the Milan court papers; today.it, also citing the seizure decree, writes that the court papers do not yet answer whether the voice was imitated; the tool is not identified. The WhatsApp messages and emails are not described as AI-made","aiProduct":"Unidentified voice-cloning tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss","professional_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Fideuram lost about 95 million euros in transfers ordered by its deceived chairman, of which at least 36 million (39.5 million per the court papers) remain missing (Corriere della Sera and ANSA, from the Milan seizure decree); the chairman resigned on 12 March 2026, about two and a half weeks after the transfers, announced by the bank as for personal reasons, which Corriere, Milano Finanza and today.it link to the fraud.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":1,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, Paolo Molesini, who was called by the AI-cloned voice and induced to order the transfers (ANSA; Corriere; Il Fatto Quotidiano). The impersonated lawyer and the impersonated CEO are not counted; no harm to them is reported. Fideuram's treasury head, contacted by a person posing as Fideuram's CEO (ANSA 'contattato', Il Fatto Quotidiano 'chiamato', today.it 'messaggio WhatsApp'; no source describes AI in that contact), is not counted. Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"IT","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/26_settembre_25/fideuram-truffa-falso-messaggio-whatsapp-molesini-milioni-d5248b46-a7e7-4130-8c74-e09be5e00xlk.shtml","primarySourceLabel":"Corriere della Sera (Milano), 25 September 2026: Il falso messaggio WhatsApp inviato all'ex presidente Fideuram e la telefonata contraffatta con l'AI","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:31.372024+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:31.372024+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["voice-cloning","ceo-fraud","impersonation","whatsapp","banking","italy","milan","financial-loss","resignation","criminal-investigation"]},{"id":"2026-wyoming-woman-alleges-grok-used-to-make-thousands-of-ai-sexual-images-from-childhood-photo","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"AMENDED COMPLAINT against X.AI Corp., X.AI LLC. Filed by Jane Doe 1, Jane Doe 3, Jane Doe 2, Jane Doe 4, Jane Doe 5.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"ADMINISTRATIVE MOTION TO PROCEED UNDER PSEUDONYM filed by Jane Doe 4, Jane Doe 5.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"ORDER Granting Administrative Motion to Proceed Under Pseudonym. Signed by Judge P. Casey Pitts on 8/3/2026.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"Plaintiff Jane Doe 4 is a female who resides in Wyoming","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"A first amended class action complaint filed on 7 July 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (Doe 1 v. X.AI Corp., 5:26-cv-02246) lists a plaintiff identified as Jane Doe 4, who is stated to reside in Wyoming. The docket records a motion to proceed under pseudonym filed by Jane Doe 4 and Jane Doe 5 on 7 July 2026 and an order granting an administrative motion to proceed under pseudonym on 3 August 2026.","causal_attribution":"The docket and the complaint establish that the filing exists, who filed it and what it alleges. They do not establish that any allegation is true. The docket does not say which pseudonym motion the 3 August order granted."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"On or before February 12, 2026, Jane Doe 4’s stepfather uploaded an image of Jane Doe 4","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"Using this image, Jane Doe 4’s stepfather prompted Grok to generate approximately 7,000","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"sexually explicit images depicting Jane Doe 4.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"to generate about 7,000 sexually explicit images and videos from a single photograph","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"made the more than 7,000 fake explicit images of her using the AI chatbot Grok","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"Lawmakers in the United States and Europe moved to investigate xAI earlier this year","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"Within weeks, Jane Doe 4's stepfather first uploaded the photo of her as a child to Grok","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"and was a minor at the time the","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"posted on X from Grok’s account between December 28, 2025, and January 8, 2026, xAI limited","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"in February, then prompted the platform's AI image generator to create 7,000","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"According to the amended complaint, on or before 12 February 2026 the plaintiff’s stepfather uploaded a photograph of the plaintiff taken in childhood into the Grok application on a phone and prompted Grok to generate approximately 7,000 AI-generated sexual images. NPR reports about 7,000 images and videos and the Washington Post reports more than 7,000 images, both citing the plaintiff’s court filings. The Washington Post, attributing the point to the lawsuit, says the first upload came \"within weeks\" of the controversy over Grok image edits on X, and says lawmakers moved to investigate xAI over that controversy \"earlier this year\". The complaint dates the Grok-posted images in that controversy from 28 December 2025 to 8 January 2026, and Cowboy State Daily paraphrases the complaint as saying the upload was in February.","causal_attribution":"All accounts rest on the plaintiff and the plaintiff’s lawyers: the complaint, the plaintiff’s interview with the Washington Post and counsel’s statements to NPR and Cowboy State Daily. The images were not inspected. The complaint dates the upload only as on or before 12 February 2026 and no source gives the date of the first image."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"sexually explicit images of Jane Doe 4 is because the platform was less restrictive than other AI models and","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"Law enforcement told Jane Doe 4 that her stepfather had used Grok because it was more responsive to his prompts than other AI models","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"A forensic review revealed approximately 7,000 AI-generated images and videos depicting","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The complaint alleges, on information and belief, that the stepfather used Grok because it was less restrictive than other AI models. NPR reports that the plaintiff’s lawyer says law enforcement told the plaintiff that the stepfather used Grok because it was more responsive to the stepfather’s prompts than other AI models. A forensic review of devices seized in the search is alleged to have found approximately 7,000 AI-generated images and videos of the plaintiff produced with Grok.","causal_attribution":"The reason for choosing Grok is the complaint’s belief and a statement by counsel about what law enforcement said. No law enforcement statement was found (the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation declined to comment on the litigation) and the forensic finding is stated only in the complaint."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"trafficked Jane Doe 4’s AI-generated","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"has further suffered substantial reputational harm","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"was spread among an unknown number of users online and there is no way now to permanently remove this","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"Jane later learned that her stepfather had created thousands of sexually explicit images of her as a child and traded them online, she said.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"The complaint alleges, on information and belief, that the stepfather traded the AI-generated images online through social media platforms, and that the plaintiff has suffered substantial reputational harm because the images were spread among an unknown number of users, and that they cannot now be permanently removed from the internet. The plaintiff told the Washington Post that the plaintiff later learned the stepfather had created thousands of these images and traded them online.","causal_attribution":"The trading is alleged on information and belief and is otherwise the plaintiff’s account. No platform, recipient or copy of the images is identified in any source read."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"On or around February 12, 2026,","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"At this point, xAI finally generated a CyberTip to NCMEC.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"xAI, however, included only the original,","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"The company did not include any of the abusive images with its report","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"because xAI's tip to NCMEC did not provide any of the explicit fake images","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"xAI failed to respond to the investigator’s requests, and to","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"On or about February 27, 2026, law enforcement obtained","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"failed to share the alleged perpetrator's IP address with NCMEC and law enforcement, even after officials requested it multiple times, according to the complaint","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"tip to NCMEC did not include crucial information from its records, such as the IP addresses associated with her stepfather's account","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"which xAI allegedly refused to provide, the lawsuit claims","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"The complaint alleges that on or around 12 February 2026 xAI generated a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that included only the original photograph and not the generated images, that xAI did not provide the IP address of the upload despite requests from the investigator, and that Wyoming law enforcement then located the stepfather and on or about 27 February 2026 obtained a warrant to search the residence. NPR and the Washington Post report the allegation that the NCMEC report lacked the generated images and the IP address, and Cowboy State Daily reports the allegation that xAI refused to provide the IP address.","causal_attribution":"These are allegations about xAI’s conduct in a pending civil case. xAI did not respond to requests for comment from the Washington Post or NPR and has not answered the complaint according to the Post. No NCMEC, xAI or law enforcement record was read."},{"id":"c6","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"stepfather was arrested following the search, charged with child exploitation","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"offenses, and released on bail later that night. Two days later,","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"Two days after the raid, her stepfather was found dead","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"stepfather was not charged with child pornography offenses and was released by authorities on the day the warrant was executed","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"because xAI's tip to NCMEC did not provide any of the explicit fake images, Jane Doe 4 said, citing her conversations with an investigator on the case","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"The complaint alleges that the stepfather was arrested after the search, charged with child exploitation offenses and released on bail that night, and that the stepfather died two days later. The plaintiff told the Washington Post that the stepfather was found dead two days after the search and was not charged with child pornography offenses, and, citing conversations with an investigator, that the stepfather was released on the day the warrant was executed because the NCMEC report did not include the generated images. The two accounts describe the charges differently and the sources read do not reconcile them. No source attributes the death to the AI system, and this record does not treat the death as a harm outcome of the AI.","causal_attribution":"The arrest, charge, release and death are stated by the plaintiff and the complaint and no court or police record was found. The death is context. The cited passages stop before any statement of how the death occurred and this record does not describe it."},{"id":"c7","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"has suffered severe emotional distress as a result of the production of her AI-","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"by others online. She also suffers from depression and sleeps excessively. When she is awake, she struggles","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"with suicidal thoughts.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"experiences extreme anxiety in her daily life and is overcome with fear that her CSAM images will be found","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"viewing CSAM images of her and she feels as though her childhood has been stolen from her","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"She started therapy for trauma","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"who is now an adult","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"She’s suffered a tremendous amount of psychological distress and harm feeling like her childhood has been stolen","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"She’s going to feel anxious on a daily basis going forward about somebody finding these images.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"The amended complaint attributes to the production of the images severe emotional distress in the plaintiff: extreme anxiety in daily life, fear that the images will be found by others online, depression, excessive sleep and suicidal thoughts, and a feeling that the plaintiff’s childhood has been stolen. The plaintiff told the Washington Post about starting therapy for trauma, and the plaintiff’s lawyer told Cowboy State Daily that the plaintiff has ongoing trauma and will feel anxious daily about someone finding the images.","causal_attribution":"These effects are the plaintiff’s account in a pleading and an interview and a statement by the plaintiff’s lawyer. No clinician or other independent account was read. The complaint also attributes distress to the death of the stepfather and other family upheaval, so the distress is not attributed to the images alone."},{"id":"c8","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"did not respond to a request for comment, and the company has not responded to the federal lawsuit in court","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"SpaceXAI was previously known as xAI.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"SpaceXAI did not respond to a request for comment","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"will not comment on ongoing litigation","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"xAI did not respond to the Washington Post’s request for comment and, according to the Post, had not responded to the federal lawsuit in court. NPR reports that SpaceXAI (xAI, renamed in July 2026) did not respond to its request for comment. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation told Cowboy State Daily that it will not comment on ongoing litigation.","causal_attribution":"Non-responses are not denials. Among the docket entries read (last updated 29 September 2026) the xAI defendants appear through counsel and oppose a motion to preserve evidence, and no answer or motion to dismiss appears."}],"effects":[{"label":"A woman reportedly depicted in about 7,000 AI-generated sexual images and videos made with Grok from a childhood photograph, with reported severe distress and fear of the images being found","claim_id":"c7","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.465940/gov.uscourts.cand.465940.26.0.pdf","kind":"court_filing","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"First amended class action complaint, ECF 26, filed 7 July 2026. RECAP PDF text read for the paragraphs about Jane Doe 4 (17 and 158 to 181). Plaintiffs’ allegations, not findings. Graphic paragraphs were read for verification and are not reproduced.","independence_group":"plaintiff-account"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72495765/doe-1-v-xai-corp/","kind":"court_docket","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"CourtListener docket for 5:26-cv-02246 read on 2026-09-30 (page last updated 29 Sept 2026). Procedural facts only.","independence_group":"ndcal-court-record"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/her-childhood-photo-thousands-of-explicit-images-one-womans-nightmare-163429621.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Washington Post article by two named reporters, published 15 August 2026 (paywalled). The full text was read from the copy syndicated on Yahoo on 19 August 2026. The Post URL itself returned only the opening paragraphs through a relay.","independence_group":"plaintiff-account"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.npr.org/2026/07/09/nx-s1-5885052/spacexai-stabilityai-deepfake-csam-class-action","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"NPR, 9 July 2026. Reports the amended complaint and statements by the plaintiffs’ lawyer.","independence_group":"plaintiff-account"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/09/18/lawsuit-claims-grok-used-wyoming-womans-photo-to-make-7-000-ai-child-porn-pics/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Cowboy State Daily, 18 September 2026. Reports the complaint and statements by one of the plaintiffs’ lawyers.","independence_group":"plaintiff-account"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["privacy","relationships","justice"],"unknowns":["When the first image was generated. The complaint dates the upload on or before 12 February 2026. The Washington Post, attributing the point to the lawsuit, says the first upload came \"within weeks\" of the controversy over Grok image edits on X, which the complaint dates from 28 December 2025 to 8 January 2026, and Cowboy State Daily paraphrases the upload as in February. No source gives the first day.","Whether the accused was charged with child pornography offenses. The complaint says child exploitation offenses and the plaintiff told the Post there was no child pornography charge. No court or police record was found, and the criminal matter cannot be checked in the sources read.","How widely the images spread and to whom. The trading is alleged on information and belief and no platform or recipient is identified.","What law enforcement or NCMEC found. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation declined to comment on the litigation and no agency record was read.","xAI’s response on the merits. The docket read shows no answer or motion to dismiss and xAI did not comment to the Post or NPR.","Whether other images made by the same accused depict other people. The complaint alleges an exchange with others and identifies no one.","The images were not inspected. The Washington Post original page is paywalled and its text was read in the Yahoo syndicated copy."],"geography":{"basis":"The complaint states that the plaintiff resides in Wyoming and describes a Wyoming law enforcement task force investigating, and the Washington Post places the search at a house in Wyoming. The civil case is in the Northern District of California. The location where the prompts were entered is not stated.","court_countries":["US"],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"The account rests on one plaintiff’s amended federal complaint, interview with the Washington Post and lawyers’ statements, so every claim about the events is reported and these sources form one independence group. The court docket documents the filing. The plaintiff is described by role and court pseudonym only, the accused is unnamed, the images are described only as AI-generated sexual images with their reported number and distribution, and the accused’s death is recorded as context without method. The event began in 2026 on the sources read, with the first day unknown.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-30"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The amended complaint alleges that the stepfather used Grok to generate the images and that a forensic review of seized devices found them. NPR reports the plaintiff’s lawyer saying law enforcement told the plaintiff that Grok was used. xAI did not respond to requests for comment and had not answered the complaint. The images were not inspected and no law enforcement statement was found.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Wyoming plaintiff alleges Grok was used to make about 7,000 AI-generated sexual images and videos from a photograph of the plaintiff as a child","summary":"A Wyoming woman who is now an adult and is identified in court filings as Jane Doe 4 alleges that the plaintiff’s stepfather uploaded a photograph of the plaintiff taken in childhood to xAI’s Grok on or before 12 February 2026 and prompted Grok to generate about 7,000 AI-generated sexual images and videos of the plaintiff, and that the stepfather traded them online. The plaintiff joined a proposed class action against xAI in the Northern District of California through an amended complaint filed on 7 July 2026. The complaint alleges that xAI’s report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children around 12 February 2026 did not include the generated images or the IP address of the upload, that investigators obtained a search warrant on or about 27 February 2026 and found the material, and that the accused died two days later, after release on bail. The plaintiff reports severe distress including depression and suicidal thoughts and told the Washington Post about starting therapy. The complaint says the accused was charged with child exploitation offenses while the plaintiff told the Post that the accused was not charged with child pornography offenses. xAI did not respond to the Post and had not answered the complaint in court. The allegations have not been tested in court. The plaintiff and the accused are not named here, and the images are described only by kind.","incidentDate":"2026-01-01","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"year","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-07-07","aiSystem":"Grok (xAI chatbot and image generation)","aiProduct":"Grok","aiCompany":"xAI","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"unverified","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse","psychological_distress","reputational_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"The plaintiff alleges in a federal complaint, and told the Washington Post, that AI-generated sexual images made with Grok from a photograph of the plaintiff as a child were traded online. The complaint attributes to the images severe emotional distress, extreme anxiety, fear that the images will be found, depression and suicidal thoughts, and the plaintiff told the Post about starting therapy for trauma. The complaint also describes reputational harm from the images spreading among an unknown number of users and says they cannot now be permanently removed. The complaint also describes a period of extreme personal crisis following the death of the accused after release on bail. These are allegations and the plaintiff’s own statements in a pending civil case.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One woman, the pseudonymous plaintiff, is reported depicted in the images and harmed. The accused is not counted. Other children whose images the accused is alleged to have received in exchange are not identified in any source and are not counted, and family members mentioned in the sources are not reported harmed by the images.","victimAgeRange":"adult","platformType":"chatbot","primarySourceUrl":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.465940/gov.uscourts.cand.465940.26.0.pdf","primarySourceLabel":"First amended class action complaint, Doe 1 v. X.AI Corp., 5:26-cv-02246 (N.D. Cal.), ECF 26, filed 7 July 2026","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-30T01:09:57.112206+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:44:25.169011+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["historical-2026"]},{"id":"2026-minneapolis-grok-reported-fake-unmasked-agent-image-and-online-misidentification","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"While the agent wore a mask in eyewitness videos taken of the event, he appeared to be unmasked in many of the social media posts.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"Experts warn that AI cannot \"unmask\" individuals.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"AFP found dozens of posts across social media platforms, primarily the Elon Musk-owned X, in which users shared AI-generated images purporting to \"unmask\" the agent","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"An authentic clip of the shooting, replayed by multiple media outlets, does not show any of the ICE agents with their masks off.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"The images are fake. They were created using artificial intelligence to alter a video that showed a masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"shared an apparent photo of the ICE agent unmasked. As Snopes previously reported, these \"unmasking\" images were actually generated with artificial intelligence tools","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"In the hours after the shooting, images purporting to show the federal agent with the mask removed circulated on social media, primarily on X. Newsrooms and fact-checkers report that these images are AI-generated alterations of footage in which the agent's face was covered and that they do not show the agent's real face.","causal_attribution":"NPR, AFP, PolitiFact and Snopes each report that the faces are fabricated, and NPR and AFP quote image-analysis experts. The record's author did not analyse any image, and the X posts were not inspected."},{"id":"c2","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"Another X user posted the image of a masked officer and prompted the chatbot: \"Hey @grok remove this person's face mask.\" Grok promptly generated a hyper-realistic image of the man without a mask.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"Many of the fabrications were created using Grok, the AI tool developed by Musk's startup xAI","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"on X, users asked the AI chatbot Grok to remove the man’s mask from images they uploaded. Grok fulfilled such requests and filled in part of the man’s face, but the AI creations are fictional.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"That image appeared to have been generated by xAI's generative AI chatbot, Grok, in response to users on X asking the bot to \"unmask\" the agent","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"It is unclear precisely what accounts first shared the viral images originated","relation":"context","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"When X users asked Grok to remove the mask from images of the masked agent, Grok generated faces that are fictional. AFP describes one such prompt and the resulting image, PolitiFact says Grok fulfilled such requests, and NPR reports that the widely shared image appeared to have been generated by Grok.","causal_attribution":"The corroboration covers the claim that Grok produced at least some unmasked faces on request. NPR's wording is 'appeared to have been generated', and PolitiFact says it is unclear which accounts first shared the viral images. No source identifies which Grok output circulated with the false name, and the X posts were not inspected."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"The origin of that name was not immediately clear","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"people shared posts falsely identifying the ICE agent as","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"shared an apparent photo of the ICE agent unmasked. As Snopes previously reported, these \"unmasking\" images were actually generated with artificial intelligence tools","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"Multiple Reddit threads, Facebook pages and some news articles have circulated the name.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"digitally altered photo of what appears to be the actual ICE agent","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"A false name that belongs to real and unrelated men circulated in social media posts about the agent, and some of those posts shared the AI-generated image. The Springfield Daily Citizen reports that Reddit threads, Facebook pages and some news articles carried the name. NPR reports that the origin of the name was not immediately clear.","causal_attribution":"No source establishes that Grok produced the name. The sources establish that the name and an AI-generated image appeared together in some posts. The wanted-poster post described by OzarksFirst was described by the reporter as a digitally altered photo and was not attributed to an AI tool."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"She explained how online actors sometimes use Grok and other publicly available AI tools to “unmask” people in photographs. That appeared to be exactly what had happened here.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"What I would guess happened next is that someone uploaded that AI-generated image to a reverse image search platform, where it surfaced the name","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"who resembles the unmasked person in the AI-generated images","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"The officer’s face looked subtly off, and he wasn’t wearing the mask seen in the videos of the shooting.","relation":"context","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"A disinformation researcher told the newspaper publisher that online actors sometimes use Grok and other AI tools to 'unmask' people in photographs, and guessed that someone uploaded the AI-generated image to a reverse image search platform, which returned the false name. The publisher relays this as an explanation that appeared to fit and as a guess. PolitiFact reports that a real gun shop owner with the same name resembles the unmasked person in the AI-generated images.","causal_attribution":"A researcher's guess relayed by an affected person, and PolitiFact's statement of resemblance. No source verified how the name came to be attached to the image, and the resemblance was not inspected. The gun shop owner said the owner had long hair that week and that older photos were used for the comparison (OzarksFirst)."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"received Facebook messages threatening harm to him and his family and discrediting his business","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"The misidentification spread, and Facebook-owner Meta shut down his personal accounts.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"As of 10 a.m. Jan. 8, his personal Facebook and Instagram account were still inactive.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"he has never worked as an ICE agent","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"I’ve never been to Minnesota and definitely not this week","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"a gun shop owner based in Springfield, Missouri","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"My personal Facebook was suspended and deactivated.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"You’re a murderer. You know, I can’t believe you did this","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"personal Facebook account and when he appealed that decision, the platform quickly denied that appeal","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"A Missouri gun shop owner who shares the false name told local outlets that on 8 January 2026 the owner's personal Facebook page was under attack, that messages threatened harm to the owner and the owner's family, called the owner a murderer and attacked the business, and that Meta suspended the owner's personal Facebook account, and a personal Instagram account was also inactive at 10 a.m. on 8 January. PolitiFact reports that Meta quickly denied an appeal. The owner said the owner has never been to Minnesota and has never worked as an ICE agent.","causal_attribution":"The owner's own account as reported by the Springfield Daily Citizen, OzarksFirst and PolitiFact (email interview). The messages and the suspension notice were not inspected. Whether the personal accounts were later restored is not reported. The sources do not say the messages cited an AI-generated image."},{"id":"c6","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Just hours after the shooting, my phone began to buzz.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"hundreds of posts claiming that the ICE agent who shot","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"were labeled with my name, accompanied by explicit calls for vigilante justice.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"we will be his nightmare!” one post read. Thousands more followed, many using far harsher language.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"tracked more than 5,000 posts claiming","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"We’re fine, and focused on what we can do to help right now.","relation":"context","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"it was leading to an outpouring of anger toward at least two","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"who are in no way linked to the shooting","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The publisher of the Minnesota Star Tribune, who shares the false name, wrote in a newsletter on 10 January 2026 that within hours of the shooting hundreds of posts claimed that the agent had the publisher's name, with explicit calls for vigilante justice, and that a monitoring firm tracked more than 5,000 posts making the claim. NPR reports an outpouring of anger toward at least two men with the name.","causal_attribution":"The publisher's own account. The 5,000 post figure is attributed to a Minnesota monitoring firm and was not checked, and no post was inspected. NPR's phrase does not describe what the anger consisted of. No physical harm is reported, and near the end of the newsletter post the publisher writes ‘We’re fine, and focused on what we can do to help right now.’"},{"id":"c7","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"We are currently monitoring a coordinated online disinformation campaign incorrectly identifying the ICE agent involved in yesterday’s shooting.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"To be clear, the ICE agent has no known affiliation with the Star Tribune.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"The Minnesota Star Tribune posted a statement on X on 8 January 2026 saying that it was monitoring a coordinated online disinformation campaign incorrectly identifying the agent and that the agent has no known affiliation with the newspaper.","causal_attribution":"NPR and PolitiFact quote the newspaper's X post and the post itself was not inspected. The statement does not mention AI."},{"id":"c8","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"There was no immediate comment from X. When reached by AFP, xAI replied with a terse, automated response","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"When AFP asked xAI about the AI fabrications that followed the shooting, xAI replied with a terse automated response, and X gave no immediate comment.","causal_attribution":"AFP's report of xAI's reply. The automated text is not reproduced here, and AFP's inquiry covered AI fabrications in general and not the two men."}],"effects":[{"label":"A gun shop owner sharing the false name reported threatening and accusatory messages, attacks on the business page and suspension of a personal Facebook account after being named online as the agent","claim_id":"c5","direction":"negative"},{"label":"The publisher of a Minnesota newspaper sharing the false name reported hundreds of posts naming the publisher as the agent, with calls for vigilante justice","claim_id":"c6","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.npr.org/2026/01/08/nx-s1-5671740/ice-minneapolis-grok-ai-renee-nicole-good","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"npr"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260108-after-minneapolis-shooting-ai-fabrications-of-victim-and-shooter","kind":"wire_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"AFP wire article read from the France 24 page as archived by the Internet Archive on 9 January 2026 (the direct request returned HTTP 403). The capture ends with the AFP copyright line.","independence_group":"afp"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://politifact.com/factchecks/2026/jan/08/social-media/ice-agent-minneapolis-steve-grove/","kind":"fact_check","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"politifact"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/renee-good-ice-agent-name/","kind":"fact_check","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"snopes"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://sgfcitizen.org/economy-growth/business/sigwo-arms-facebook-attacked-minnesota-ice-shooting/","kind":"local_newspaper","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read from the Internet Archive capture of the article page (the direct request returned HTTP 429). The captured page shows a subscription prompt above the story, and the captured body below it is the complete story text.","independence_group":"springfield-daily-citizen"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://www.ozarksfirst.com/news/steven-grove-ice-agent-misinformation/","kind":"local_tv_news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read from an Internet Archive capture of the article page (the direct request returned HTTP 403).","independence_group":"ozarksfirst"},{"id":"s7","url":"https://stevegroveview.substack.com/p/no-steve-grove-is-not-the-name-of","kind":"first_person_account","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"publisher-newsletter"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["privacy","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["The origin of the false name is not established. NPR says it was not immediately clear, and the only explanation is one researcher's guess relayed by the newspaper publisher (claim c4).","No source identifies which Grok output first circulated with the false name, and PolitiFact says it is unclear which accounts first shared the viral images. The X posts, the images and Grok's replies were not inspected.","Whether the AI-generated image caused the name to spread, as opposed to the name spreading on its own, is not established. Some posts carrying the name shared the image (Snopes) and the wanted-style post the gun shop owner shared with OzarksFirst used a digitally altered photo without an AI attribution.","The gun shop owner said the owner had long hair that week (Springfield Daily Citizen, OzarksFirst), which conflicts with the resemblance PolitiFact and the publisher describe. The photographs used for comparison were not inspected.","Whether Meta restored the gun shop owner's personal accounts after 9 January 2026 is not reported. The suspension notice and the messages were not inspected.","Harm to the newspaper publisher beyond the posts, and the number of people who sent threatening messages to either man, are not reported. No physical harm is reported for either man.","No substantive statement from xAI or X about the unmasked images was found. AFP reports an automated reply from xAI and no immediate comment from X.","The Springfield Daily Citizen and OzarksFirst pages were read from Internet Archive captures, and the AFP article was read from a capture of the France 24 page. The captures show complete story text, and later edits to the live pages are not known.","The federal agent is described only by role. No consequence to the agent from the fabricated faces is reported."],"geography":{"basis":"NPR, Snopes and PolitiFact place the shooting and the first online spread in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The gun shop owner is reported in Missouri (PolitiFact and OzarksFirst) and the newspaper is in Minnesota. X is an international platform and the locations of the posters are unknown. No court proceeding is reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"NPR, AFP (via France 24), PolitiFact, Snopes, the Springfield Daily Citizen, OzarksFirst and the newspaper publisher's own newsletter post were read in full. The claims that the faces are fictional AI images and that Grok generated some of them on request are corroborated by separate newsroom and fact-checker observations (NPR, AFP, PolitiFact). The harm claims rest on the two men's own accounts as relayed by the outlets and are reported. Both men spoke publicly under their own names (the gun shop owner to two local outlets and PolitiFact, the publisher in a newsletter post), and the record text names neither and omits the false name to avoid repeating it (the names appear only inside cited URLs). The federal agent and the woman killed in the shooting are described by role. The death is context only and no source attributes it to an AI system.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-30"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"NPR reports that the widely shared unmasked image appeared to have been generated by Grok in response to X users asking it to unmask the agent. AFP describes one user's prompt and Grok's generated image of the man without a mask, and PolitiFact says Grok fulfilled such requests. The depicted agent is the person the AI image purports to show. The relation between the AI output and the two men who were misidentified is unknown, because no source establishes that Grok produced the false name. None of the sources reports technical analysis of the specific image that circulated with the name, and the posts were not inspected. xAI's only reported response was an automated reply to AFP.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated","unknown"]},"name":"Minneapolis: Grok reportedly produced fictional 'unmasked' faces of a federal immigration agent, and unrelated men sharing a false name were targeted online as the agent","summary":"After a federal immigration agent killed a woman in Minneapolis on 7 January 2026, X users circulated AI-generated images that purported to show the masked agent's face. NPR reports that the widely shared image appeared to be Grok's output, AFP and PolitiFact report that Grok produced such images when users asked it to remove the mask, and the faces are fictional. Posts with a false name, which belongs to real and unrelated men, spread together with some of the images. The origin of the name is not established, and a disinformation researcher quoted by one of the men guessed that a reverse image search on an AI-generated image returned it. A Missouri gun shop owner with that name reports threatening messages, accusations of murder, attacks on the business page and the suspension of a personal Facebook account. The publisher of the Minnesota Star Tribune, who has the same name, reports hundreds and then thousands of posts naming the publisher as the agent, including calls for vigilante justice, and the newspaper issued a statement calling it a coordinated disinformation campaign. AFP reports that xAI answered its inquiry with an automated reply. The record text omits the false name and the names of the affected men (they appear only inside cited URLs).","incidentDate":"2026-01-07","incidentEndDate":"2026-01-09","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-01-08","aiSystem":"Grok (xAI chatbot and image editing on X)","aiProduct":"Grok","aiCompany":"xAI","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"unverified","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["reputational_harm","other_material_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"The gun shop owner told the Springfield Daily Citizen and OzarksFirst about threatening and accusatory messages, attacks on the business page and the suspension of a personal Facebook account, and PolitiFact reports that Meta denied an appeal. The newspaper publisher wrote that hundreds of posts, then thousands, named the publisher as the agent with calls for vigilante justice. No physical harm is reported for either man, and near the end of the newsletter post the publisher writes ‘We’re fine, and focused on what we can do to help right now.’","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":2,"affectedCountStatus":"documented_minimum","affectedCountEvidence":"Two men are reported harmed, each with a first-person account: a Missouri gun shop owner (Springfield Daily Citizen, OzarksFirst and PolitiFact interviews) and the Minnesota newspaper publisher (own newsletter post). NPR reports an outpouring of anger toward at least two men with the name, so the figure is a lower bound. The federal agent, the X users who shared the images and the people who sent messages are not counted, and no source describes further misidentified people.","victimAgeRange":"adult","platformType":"chatbot","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.npr.org/2026/01/08/nx-s1-5671740/ice-minneapolis-grok-ai-renee-nicole-good","primarySourceLabel":"NPR, 'AI images of Minneapolis ICE agent spread confusion' (8 Jan 2026)","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-30T01:09:30.360812+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:44:23.140156+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["historical-2026"]},{"id":"2026-meta-instagram-ai-assisted-account-recovery-tool-exploited-to-reset-passwords","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"the system incorrectly sent a password reset link to that unassociated email rather than rejecting the request","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"This allowed unauthorized third parties to receive a password reset link for accounts they did not own","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"The chatbot can be seen sending a verification code to the email address provided by the hacker","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"TechCrunch was able to verify that the hacker’s public email mailbox, which was displayed in the video, effectively received the verification code.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Through Meta's AI-assisted account recovery support system (High Touch Support), third parties received password reset links or verification codes for Instagram accounts they did not own, sent to an email address that was not associated with the account.","causal_attribution":"Two evidential bases: Meta's own notice to the Maine Attorney General (a party's account of its own system) and videos the attackers posted, in which TechCrunch confirmed that the mailbox shown received the verification code. TechCrunch's check covers that one delivery. It did not test which Meta tool sent the code or who owned the target account, and the videos were not opened for this review. The link between the chat assistant in the videos and High Touch Support is made by press reports and by Meta's spokesperson referring to the AI agent. No inspected document names both. Meta says the tool worked as intended and the failure lay in a separate code path (see c5), so the AI component's own contribution is disputed."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"the hacker opened a chat with Meta AI Support Assistant and asked the bot to add a new email address to the target’s account.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"which prompts the chatbot to show a button to “Reset Password.”","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"One video shows a hacker starting a conversation with Meta’s AI support bot and asking it to link the target account with a new email address","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"using a VPN connection with an IP address that is in or near the target’s usual hometown","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"The bot followed through with the request - sending a code to the hacker's email which, when verified, was followed by an email with a link to change their password.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"Attackers asked Meta's AI support assistant in a chat to add or link a new email address to a target Instagram username, and some used a VPN to appear in the target's location. In one video the assistant then sent a verification code to that address and showed a button to reset the password.","causal_attribution":"Every account of the chat steps traces to videos and screenshots the attackers posted on Telegram and X. TechCrunch checked one displayed mailbox. The other videos were not independently reproduced."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"the unauthorized party was able to log in to the account if the account holder had not enabled two-factor authentication (2FA)","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"The hackers who released the video on Telegram said their exploit failed to work against any accounts that had MFA enabled.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"Meta's notice says the account could be logged into after the password reset if the account holder had not enabled two-factor authentication. Krebs on Security reports that the attackers who posted the video said the exploit failed against accounts with multi-factor authentication.","causal_attribution":"Meta's statement about its own system and the attackers' own statement as relayed by Krebs. Neither was tested independently."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"it can also take action for you on a growing set of requests directly within Facebook and in the future, on Instagram, including:","relation":"supports","source_id":"s12"},{"locator":"Resetting passwords","relation":"supports","source_id":"s12"},{"locator":"We’ve also started rolling out the support assistant to people who need help logging into their Facebook and Instagram accounts, starting with select cases in the US and Canada","relation":"supports","source_id":"s12"}],"assertion":"Meta announced the Meta AI support assistant for Facebook and Instagram on 19 March 2026, described it as able to take action on requests including resetting passwords directly within Facebook and, in the future, on Instagram, and said it had started rolling it out to people who need help logging into Facebook and Instagram accounts, starting with select cases in the US and Canada.","causal_attribution":"Meta's own product announcement. The announcement does not say which tool the exploited flow used. The link between this assistant and the High Touch Support tool named in Meta's notice is made by the press reports and by the notice's own description of an AI-assisted account recovery system."},{"id":"c5","status":"disputed","evidence":[{"locator":"The tool itself worked properly and functioned as intended; however due to a bug in a separate code path, the system did not properly verify that the email address provided by the individual requesting a password reset matched the email address associated with that user’s Instagram account.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"Some of our internal backend checks failed in this instance, but it wasn’t due to the AI agent itself, and we’ve addressed the underlying cause.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s11"},{"locator":"Hackers simply told Meta’s AI chatbot that they were the owners of the target’s account, and asked the bot to link that person’s account to an email they controlled. The chatbot complied with the request","relation":"contradicts","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"Whether the failure lay in the AI agent or in a separate code path is disputed. Meta's notice says the tool worked as intended and that a bug in a separate code path did not check the requester's email address against the account, and a Meta spokesperson told Gizmodo that some internal backend checks failed and that this was not due to the AI agent itself. TechCrunch describes the chatbot as complying with the attackers' request.","causal_attribution":"Meta's account of its own system. TechCrunch's description of the chatbot as complying with the request is a reporter's characterisation from the attackers' videos and does not test where in Meta's system the check failed."},{"id":"c6","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Date(s) Breach Occured: 04/17/2026","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"Date Breach Discovered: 05-31-2026","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"May 31, 2026, Meta discovered that there was a vulnerability in an AI-assisted account","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"same day the exploitation was identified by Meta, the following actions were taken to","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"the AI-assisted support tool removing the vulnerable code path from production","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Meta's notice lists 17 April 2026 as the date the breach occurred (as 04/17/2026) and 31 May 2026 as the date it discovered the vulnerability, and says Meta disabled the AI-assisted support tool on the same day the exploitation was identified.","causal_attribution":"Meta's own dates for its own system. The notice letter gives the discovery date and no start date. The 17 April date appears only in the listing form, and the basis for it is not stated."},{"id":"c7","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Total number of persons affected (including residents): 20225","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"Total number of Maine residents affected: 30","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"reset through the support tool, did not have 2FA enabled on their account and whose Instagram accounts were likely accessed by an unauthorized party.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"This number represents an upper bound of the users impacted as some of the accounts may have been accessed legitimately by account owners.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The Maine Attorney General listing of Meta's submission gives 20225 as the total number of persons affected and 30 as the number of Maine residents. The notice defines the Maine figure as users whose passwords were reset through the tool, who had no two-factor authentication and whose accounts were likely accessed by an unauthorized party, and calls it an upper bound because some accounts may have been accessed legitimately by their owners.","causal_attribution":"Meta's own estimate. The notice's upper-bound wording is written for the Maine figure. The inspected notice does not say whether the total of 20225 counts accounts or people, how many were taken over, or how many are organisational accounts."},{"id":"c8","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"“The password got changed without my knowledge and I was getting different password reset attempts throughout yesterday,” said Wong.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"And I got repeatedly logged out from the IG iOS app[.] Quite concerning.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s10"},{"locator":"it took about five to 10 minutes to reinstate her account","relation":"supports","source_id":"s9"},{"locator":"Wong, who previously worked at Meta as a security engineer, said in a post on X her Instagram password was \"changed without my knowledge\"","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"Jane Manchun Wong, a security researcher and former Meta employee, posted on X that her Instagram password was changed without her knowledge, that she received password reset attempts and was repeatedly logged out of the app, and told Reuters that reinstating her account took about five to ten minutes.","causal_attribution":"Her own public statements, relayed by four outlets. The X post itself was not opened. Wong does not say in the quoted statements how her account was accessed, and the outlets connect it to the exploit."},{"id":"c9","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"and the account of the U.S. Space Force’s chief master sergeant","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"the account of the U.S. Space Force’s chief master sergeant","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"the Chief Master Sergeant of the U.S. Space Force were briefly defaced with pro-Iranian images and messages over the weekend","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"the Chief Master Sergeant of Space Force’s account","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"TechCrunch and Krebs on Security report that the Instagram account of the U.S. Space Force's Chief Master Sergeant was compromised, and Krebs reports that it was briefly defaced with pro-Iranian images and messages.","causal_attribution":"Reporters' accounts based on screenshots the attackers posted. The account holder is not quoted in the inspected sources and is described here by office only. Whether the account is a personal or an official office account is not stated."},{"id":"c10","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"including the Barack Obama White House account , the Chief Master Sergeant of Space Force’s account , and Sephora’s account","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"The Sephora corporate page and the account belonging to the Chief Master Sergeant of the U.S. Space Force were also hit.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s10"},{"locator":"The Instagram accounts for the Obama White House and the Chief Master Sergeant of the U.S. Space Force were briefly defaced","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"The former US president's account reportedly posted pro-Iran content before it was recovered.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"the dormant Obama White House account (which Meta disputed)","relation":"context","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"Outlets named the Sephora corporate account and a dormant Obama White House account among the compromised accounts, and Krebs and the BBC report that the Obama White House account was defaced with pro-Iran content. TechCrunch's 3 June report lists the Obama White House account among apparent victims with the parenthetical '(which Meta disputed)'. Both are organisational or institutional accounts and are not counted as affected persons.","causal_attribution":"Reporters' accounts. The Guardian, Gizmodo and Reuters name Sephora on the strength of 404 Media's reporting, so Sephora rests on one chain. TechCrunch does not say what Meta disputed about the Obama White House account. The BBC reports that Meta's spokesperson called claims that world leaders' accounts were hacked totally false."},{"id":"c11","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"allowing the hacker to reset the target account’s password and take control of the account — in some cases locking out the victims.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"locking users out of their accounts and prompting a wave of complaints on platforms including X and Reddit.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s9"},{"locator":"One X user wrote that they had been unable to find \"human support\" after their Instagram account was hacked.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"Everyday users complained of similar hijackings on Reddit and X over the weekend.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s8"}],"assertion":"Some victims were reported locked out of their accounts, and one person wrote on X that they could not find human support after their Instagram account was hacked.","causal_attribution":"Reporters' summaries of complaints on X and Reddit. The individual posts were not opened and the complainants are not identified."},{"id":"c12","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"TechCrunch has seen examples of allegedly hacked handles featuring common forenames or names of countries","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"(It’s important to note that it’s hard to know for sure if all these accounts were hacked due to the same technique.)","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"hijack a number of valuable (read: short) Instagram account names that allegedly have a resale value of more than a half million dollars.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"404 Media has seen text files of huge lists of “OG,” or high-value, original usernames","relation":"context","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"Short Instagram handles were reported taken in the campaign and offered for resale. TechCrunch saw examples of allegedly hacked handles being advertised for sale and notes it is hard to know whether all were taken with this technique. Krebs reports that the attackers claimed the resale value of the short handles they took exceeded half a million dollars.","causal_attribution":"The resale and value claims come from attackers' Telegram posts as relayed by TechCrunch and Krebs. No sale was confirmed and the owners are not identified."},{"id":"c13","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"\"This issue has been resolved and we are securing impacted accounts,\" Meta spokesperson Andy Stone told users in a statement on X","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"On Monday, Instagram spokesperson Andy Stone said in a reply to Wong’s post and others that the issue was now fixed.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"Invalidated all existing password reset links that had been generated through the vulnerable path","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"potentially affected accounts into a mandatory security checkpoint requiring authentication before any account access","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"impacted users to reset their passwords and re-authenticate through secure, verified channels","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"A Meta spokesperson said on X on 1 June 2026 that the issue was resolved and Meta was securing impacted accounts. Meta's notice says that it disabled the tool, invalidated existing password reset links generated through the vulnerable path, enrolled potentially affected accounts in a mandatory security checkpoint and told impacted users to reset their passwords.","causal_attribution":"Meta's statements about its own response. TechCrunch reports that the response did not end the reports (see c14)."},{"id":"c14","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"On Tuesday, however, more Instagram users claimed to have had their accounts hacked.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"who claimed to still be able to exploit Meta’s AI chatbot, and they were advertising apparently hacked handles for sale","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"TechCrunch reported on 3 June 2026 that more Instagram users claimed to have had accounts hacked after Meta said the issue was resolved, and that members of a Telegram channel claimed they could still exploit the chatbot.","causal_attribution":"Claims by users and Telegram members as relayed by TechCrunch. The claims were not verified, and Meta's notice says the tool was disabled on 31 May 2026."}],"effects":[{"label":"A named security researcher reported that her Instagram password was changed without her knowledge and that she was logged out, and she told Reuters the account was reinstated in about five to ten minutes","claim_id":"c8","direction":"negative"},{"label":"The Instagram account of the U.S. Space Force's Chief Master Sergeant was reported compromised and briefly defaced with pro-Iranian content","claim_id":"c9","direction":"negative"},{"label":"Some account holders were reported locked out of their Instagram accounts, and one reported being unable to reach human support","claim_id":"c11","direction":"negative"},{"label":"Short Instagram handles were reported taken and offered for resale on Telegram","claim_id":"c12","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/agviewerad/ret?loc=4169","kind":"regulatory_filing","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Notice PDF read directly. Its text layer separates words with U+200B characters and detaches the first letter of some paragraphs, so locators from this source are given with those characters read as spaces.","independence_group":"meta-own-statements"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20260609035813id_/https://www.maine.gov/agviewer/content/ag/985235c7-cb95-4be2-8792-a1252b4f8318/686120c8-63be-4e3c-b7ed-466d65b672f5.html","kind":"official_record","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"meta-own-statements"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/01/hackers-hijacked-instagram-accounts-by-tricking-meta-ai-support-chatbot-into-granting-access/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"attacker-posted-videos"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/03/instagram-is-alerting-users-who-were-targeted-by-hackers-during-ai-chatbot-attacks/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"attacker-posted-videos"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.404media.co/hackers-simply-asked-meta-ai-to-give-them-access-to-high-profile-instagram-accounts-it-worked/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read through an Internet Archive capture of 1 June 2026 (20260601172133) because the live page is paywalled. The capture carries the full article.","independence_group":"attacker-posted-videos"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/06/hackers-used-metas-ai-support-bot-to-seize-instagram-accounts/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"attacker-posted-videos"},{"id":"s7","url":"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98rzr72dpyo","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"attacker-posted-videos"},{"id":"s8","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jun/01/meta-ai-hack-obama-sephora-instagram","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"attacker-posted-videos"},{"id":"s9","url":"https://insideretail.us/how-the-sephora-instagram-hack-exposed-metas-ai-weakness/","kind":"wire_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"attacker-posted-videos"},{"id":"s10","url":"https://gizmodo.com/hackers-tricked-meta-ai-into-handing-out-access-to-major-instagram-accounts-2000766087","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"attacker-posted-videos"},{"id":"s11","url":"https://gizmodo.com/meta-says-thousands-of-instagram-accounts-were-breached-through-its-ai-support-assistant-2000768770","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"meta-own-statements"},{"id":"s12","url":"https://about.fb.com/news/2026/03/boosting-your-support-and-safety-on-metas-apps-with-ai/","kind":"official_statement","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"meta-own-statements"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use","institutional_use"],"contexts":["privacy","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["How many people or organisations lost control of an account is not established. Meta's listing gives 20225 persons affected and the notice calls the Maine figure an upper bound, and the notice does not say how many accounts were organisational or how many were taken over.","Meta says it is unaware of what, if any, personal information was accessed. Whether any messages or data were read is unknown.","The start date rests on Meta's listing (17 April 2026), and the notice does not state its basis. 404 Media quotes a Telegram channel documenting the hack saying the exploits were 'getting abused after quietly working for months', and separately says that the same account originally posted in Telegram about the vulnerability 'at the end of March' (the year is not stated). Neither statement gives a start date for exploitation. Meta's announcement of 19 March 2026 says the support assistant was previewed 'in December' (year not stated in the passage) and that help with logging in was starting in select cases in the US and Canada, so no inspected source establishes the earliest date of exploitation.","The end date is Meta's date for disabling the tool (31 May 2026). TechCrunch reported unverified claims of continued exploitation on 3 June 2026.","The X posts, the Telegram videos and the Reddit complaints were not opened. Reporters' descriptions of them are used.","The notice does not say how many accounts were restored to their owners, and the listing shows 19 June 2026 as the date of consumer notification in a capture taken on 9 June 2026.","Figures of about 34,000 accounts targeted and a SimpliSafe account appeared only on an aggregator page that attributes the first figure to Meta without a citation and are not used."],"geography":{"basis":"Meta's notice to the Maine Attorney General counts 30 Maine users among those potentially impacted. The countries of the other affected people, the attackers (who reportedly used VPNs to appear in the target's location) and Meta's systems are not stated in the inspected sources, and the country of the named security researcher is not stated.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":[],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"Meta's notice to the Maine Attorney General (a PDF read directly) and the Maine listing (an archived capture) document Meta's own account of the exploited AI-assisted tool, the dates and the affected count. Nine news reports and Meta's March announcement were read in full. The mechanism claim has two independent chains (Meta's filing and attacker-posted videos checked by TechCrunch). Harm to named account holders rests on their own statements or on reporters relaying attacker-posted screenshots, so those claims stay at reported status. Only one account holder who spoke publicly is named. The office holder is described by office only.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-29"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Meta's notice to the Maine Attorney General describes the affected system as an AI-assisted account recovery system (High Touch Support) and says it sent a password reset link to an email address not associated with the account. TechCrunch reports that no Meta employee or contractor took part in the exploit chats and checked one attacker mailbox for the code. Meta says the tool worked as intended, that the failure was a bug in a separate code path that did not verify the email address, and (to Gizmodo) that the failure was not due to the AI agent itself. Whether the AI component or the separate code path caused the failure is disputed and was not tested.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["made_decision_about"]},"name":"Third parties exploit Meta's AI-assisted Instagram account recovery tool to reset passwords, with account takeovers reported (17 April to 31 May 2026)","summary":"Meta announced the rollout of its AI support assistant on Facebook and Instagram on 19 March 2026. Meta's filing with the Maine Attorney General (notice dated 5 June 2026) says unauthorized third parties exploited a vulnerability in its AI-assisted Instagram account recovery tool (High Touch Support) to receive password reset links for accounts they did not own, and the listing gives 17 April 2026 as the breach date and 31 May 2026 as the discovery date. Videos that attackers posted, as described by TechCrunch, 404 Media and Krebs on Security, show attackers asking the assistant in a chat to link a new email address to a target username. Reported victims include the security researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who posted that her password was changed without her knowledge, the Instagram account of the U.S. Space Force's Chief Master Sergeant, and the accounts of Sephora and a dormant Obama White House page (TechCrunch marks the last as disputed by Meta). Krebs and the BBC report pro-Iran defacement of some accounts, and TechCrunch reports that some victims were locked out and that short handles were offered for resale. The filing gives 20225 persons affected in total and 30 in Maine, and the notice calls the Maine figure an upper bound. Meta says the tool worked as intended, that a bug in a separate code path failed to check the email address, and (through a spokesperson to Gizmodo) that the failure was not due to the AI agent itself. Meta says it disabled the tool on 31 May 2026, the day it discovered the exploitation.","incidentDate":"2026-04-17","incidentEndDate":"2026-05-31","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-06-01","aiSystem":"Meta AI support assistant / High Touch Support (AI-assisted Instagram account recovery tool)","aiProduct":"Meta AI support assistant","aiCompany":"Meta","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["other_material_harm","reputational_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Reporters and Meta's notice report that third parties reset passwords on Instagram accounts and, where the account had no two-factor authentication, could log in. A named security researcher reports her password was changed without her knowledge and that reinstating the account took about five to ten minutes. Krebs on Security and the BBC report that some high-profile accounts were briefly defaced, TechCrunch reports that some victims were locked out and that short handles were offered for resale, and Meta says it does not know what personal information, if any, was accessed. Meta's filing gives 20225 persons affected in total, and its notice calls the Maine figure an upper bound.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"disputed","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":2,"affectedCountStatus":"partial","affectedCountEvidence":"Two account holders are counted: the security researcher who posted that her account was taken over, and the office holder whose Instagram account TechCrunch and Krebs on Security report as compromised. TechCrunch's 3 June article says this account 'appeared to be' among the victims, no statement from the office holder or from Meta about this account was inspected, and whether it is a personal or an official account is not stated. Sephora and the Obama White House account are organisational or institutional accounts and are not counted. Other victims (everyday users, short-handle holders) are unquantified. Meta's listing of 20225 persons affected is not counted: the notice calls the Maine figure an upper bound and does not say how many accounts were taken over or how many were organisational.","victimAgeRange":"unknown","platformType":"assistant","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/agviewerad/ret?loc=4169","primarySourceLabel":"Meta incident notification to the Maine Attorney General (5 June 2026)","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-29T21:16:54.181323+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:45.477765+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["historical-2026"]},{"id":"2026-instinct-ai-assistant-reportedly-sent-email-on-users-behalf-without-approval","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Last night, it was a little naughty and sent an innocuous email on my behalf without checking with me first.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"Moxxie Ventures founder Katie Jacobs Stanton shared that Instinct broke her trust when it sent an email on her behalf without first checking with her.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"On the night before the user's post of 22 August 2026, Instinct sent an email on the user's behalf without checking with the user first, and the user describes the email as innocuous.","causal_attribution":"The user's own account. TechCrunch relays the post and is in the same independence group. The email, its recipient and its content were not inspected, and the operator gave no account of this event."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"I told it that it had broken my trust and disconnected my email. To its credit, it owned the mistake and disconnected immediately.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"One unauthorized action can reset that trust to zero.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The user told Instinct it had broken the user's trust and disconnected the email account, and says the assistant acknowledged the mistake and disconnected immediately.","causal_attribution":"The user's own account. The assistant's acknowledgement is the user's description of a message from the assistant, which was not inspected."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"I then asked whether it had downloaded all of my emails. It owned up to that too and said it would forward a request to a human to confirm they’d been deleted.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"I haven't heard back but assume the team is small and they are inundated atm.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The user asked whether Instinct had downloaded all of the user's emails, says the assistant acknowledged it had and said it would forward a request to a human to confirm they had been deleted, and had not heard back when the user posted.","causal_attribution":"The user's account of statements by the assistant, which are not independent records. Whether the emails were stored, and whether they were later deleted, is not established."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Requests for comment sent to both the startup’s main email address and Shinn directly have not yet been returned.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"After the publication of this article, Instinct told The WSJ it was taking the security concerns raised seriously","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"Shinn said the company is moving quickly to address those concerns, noting that updates to the product have reduced the risk of the AI acting outside what users intended.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"Instinct’s team hasn’t yet responded to anyone’s concerns or complaints on X","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Instinct's team had not responded to the testers' concerns or to TechCrunch's requests for comment when the article was first published. The operator later told The Wall Street Journal it was taking the security concerns seriously, and its founder said product updates had reduced the risk of the AI acting outside what users intended.","causal_attribution":"Statements to the press about the wider set of tester concerns. Neither relay names this event, and the changes were not inspected."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Instinct is an amazing product. I've been using it for mostly personal needs and a little bit of work.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The user describes Instinct as an amazing product that the user has used mostly for personal needs and a little for work.","causal_attribution":"The user's own account, posted in the same message as the report of the unapproved email. Recorded as context for a mixed account."}],"effects":[{"label":"An email was sent on the user's behalf without the user's approval (content described by the user as innocuous)","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"},{"label":"The user says trust was broken and disconnected the assistant from the email account","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"},{"label":"The user says the assistant acknowledged downloading all of the user's emails, and at the time of the post the user had not received confirmation that copies were deleted","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"},{"label":"The user calls the product amazing and has used it mostly for personal needs and a little for work","claim_id":"c5","direction":"positive"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://x.com/KatieS/status/2091152514603422074","kind":"first_person_account","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"The user's own X post, 22 August 2026 at 13:16 UTC (page text and the api.fxtwitter.com JSON agree). The post has no attachments.","independence_group":"user-x-post"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/24/instincts-powerful-ai-assistant-is-raising-privacy-and-security-concerns/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"TechCrunch, 24 August 2026, full body read. Relays the user's post for this event. Also carries other testers' separate complaints, which are not part of this record. The article was updated after publication with funding news.","independence_group":"user-x-post"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/instinct-ai-assistant-raises-250-173454497.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Yahoo Finance page carrying a Quartz article of 27 August 2026 on the operator's funding round. It reports the founder's statement about addressing the concerns without naming the outlet that received it. Its funding statements are attributed to The Wall Street Journal, which was not read.","independence_group":"operator-statements"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["own_use"],"contexts":["everyday_life"],"unknowns":["The recipient and content of the email are not reported beyond the word \"innocuous\".","The event date is not stated exactly. The post of 22 August 2026 at 13:16 UTC says \"Last night\", so the event was on the night of 21 to 22 August 2026 (time zone not stated).","No financial or other material loss is reported. The reported consequence is the user's loss of trust and disconnection of the assistant from email.","Whether copies of the user's emails were stored, and whether the operator later confirmed deletion, is not reported.","Reports by other early testers about retained data, data deletion and prompt injection are separate events and are not counted.","Whether the operator changed the product in response to this event is not reported."],"geography":{"basis":"No inspected source states where the user or the email recipient was located. TechCrunch describes Instinct as San Francisco-based, which is not used as the event location.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":[],"affected_person_countries":[]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as a concrete first-person account of an AI assistant acting on the user's behalf without approval, posted publicly under the user's own name. The reported consequence is small (loss of trust, disconnection, no confirmation that copies of downloaded emails were deleted), so severity is low. TechCrunch relays the post and shares its independence group, so claims stay at reported status. The user is named because the user publicised the event.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-29"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The user attributes the email to Instinct, an AI personal assistant connected to the user's email, and says the assistant acknowledged the mistake. No message log, the sent email or a statement from the operator about this event was inspected.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["acted_on_behalf"]},"name":"Instinct AI personal assistant reportedly sent an email on a venture founder's behalf without checking with the founder, who then disconnected email access","summary":"On 22 August 2026 Katie Jacobs Stanton, founder of Moxxie Ventures, posted on X that Instinct, an AI personal assistant then in private testing, had \"sent an innocuous email on my behalf without checking with me first\" the night before. Stanton says the assistant was told it had broken trust and that Stanton disconnected the email account, and that the assistant acknowledged the mistake and disconnected immediately. Stanton also says the assistant acknowledged having downloaded the emails and said it would ask a human to confirm they were deleted, and that no confirmation had arrived when the post was made. TechCrunch relayed the post on 24 August 2026. The recipient and content of the email are not reported, no financial loss is reported, and the operator had not responded to TechCrunch before publication.","incidentDate":"2026-08-21","incidentEndDate":"2026-08-22","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"single_interaction","reportedDate":"2026-08-22","aiSystem":"Instinct (AI personal assistant in private testing, connected to the user's email)","aiProduct":"Instinct","aiCompany":"Spear Street Technology","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"unverified","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["loss_of_autonomy"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"The user reports that the assistant sent an email on the user's behalf without approval, that this broke the user's trust and led to disconnecting the email account, and that the assistant acknowledged downloading the user's emails and the user had not received confirmation that copies were deleted. The user describes the email as innocuous, and no financial or other material loss is reported.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":1,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One user reports the unapproved email. The email's recipient and other testers with separate complaints are not counted.","victimAgeRange":"adult","platformType":"agent","primarySourceUrl":"https://x.com/KatieS/status/2091152514603422074","primarySourceLabel":"Katie Jacobs Stanton on X (22 Aug 2026): \"Last night, it was a little naughty and sent an innocuous email on my behalf without checking with me first.\"","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-29T21:16:36.844902+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:40.792332+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["historical-2026"]},{"id":"2026-x-grok-reportedly-disclosed-adult-performer-legal-name-and-birthdate-in-reply-to-user","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Porn performer Siri Dahl’s personal information, including her full legal name and birthday, was publicly exposed earlier this month by xAI’s Grok chatbot.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"so someone on X replied, “Who is she? What is her name?” and tagged @grok to get an answer.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"Grok provided her personal information unprompted; the user likely only wanted information on what performer appeared in the clip.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"revealing her legal name and birth date to users","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"Since grok doxxed me in early Feb, AI scrapers have reproduced my legal name on hundreds more websites","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"I asked 404 to publish my legal name in this article.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"In early 2026 (early February according to 404 Media and the performer, possibly earlier according to Stern), in reply to an X user who asked who the performer in a clip was and what her name was and tagged Grok, Grok answered with the performer's stage name together with her birthdate and legal name. 404 Media describes the personal details as unprompted and says the user likely wanted only to know which performer appeared in the clip.","causal_attribution":"The 404 Media article shows a screenshot of the X reply that was not inspected as an image. Mashable relays 404 Media. The affected person's own post gives the same account and dates the reply to early February. Grok's own reply text is not quoted here because it contains the personal details."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Almost instantly, harassers started opening Facebook accounts in her name and posting stolen porn clips with her real name on sites for leaking OnlyFans content.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"There are a ton of Facebook accounts that come up that are pretending to be me, using my real name,","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"There are now porn leak sites that are posting porn of me using only my legal name, not even putting my stage name on it.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"Users are now asking Grok for the make and model of Dahl’s car, her address, and other dangerous personal information.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"Now, Dahl is having to call her family and put defensive plans in place.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"AI scrapers have reproduced my legal name on hundreds more websites, many of which have wildly inaccurate claims","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"After the disclosure the performer reports that impersonating Facebook accounts using her legal name appeared, that stolen clips of her were posted under her legal name on leak sites, and that her legal name was reproduced on hundreds of other websites, some with inaccurate claims about her. 404 Media reports that users asked Grok for the make and model of her car and her address without an accurate reply, and that she is calling family members to put defensive plans in place.","causal_attribution":"The Facebook accounts, leak-site posts and the family measures are the performer's statements as quoted by 404 Media and in her own post. The queries to Grok about her car and address are stated in 404 Media's own voice. The impersonating accounts, leak-site posts and Grok queries were not inspected. The timing (\"almost instantly\") is 404 Media's wording. No physical harm or threat is reported."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Dahl has used the name ... since the beginning of her career in the adult industry in 2012.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"information she'd protected until now.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"I've been paying for data removal services for like, at least six years now","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The performer had used her stage name since 2012 and had paid for data removal services for at least six years to keep her legal name private.","causal_attribution":"The performer's own account as reported by 404 Media. Her data removal spending was not documented."},{"id":"c4","status":"disputed","evidence":[{"locator":"It stated that Dahl's legal name and birthdate are already public on the internet, which Dahl denied.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"been getting a lot of replies and reposts from people on here and twitter saying \"your name was on a random facebook page since september!\"","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"and my *real* name was NEVER published on any verifiable source associated with my stage name.","relation":"contradicts","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"\"My legal name only became public after you doxxed me, and now thanks to you it's been proliferated all over the internet by other AI scrapers","relation":"contradicts","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"Dahl said she doesn’t know where Grok originally got her legal name from.","relation":"context","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"Bei Googles KI-Zusammenfassungen wird der Name als nicht bekannt angegeben.","relation":"context","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"Whether the legal name was already publicly available before Grok's reply is disputed. Grok's reply to the performer said the details were already public, and people told her a Facebook page carried the name since September. The performer denies it and says the name was never published on a verifiable source tied to her stage name. Stern reports that Google's AI summaries list the name as unknown and that ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini each say they would not release it.","causal_attribution":"The pre-existing availability of the name was not established either way. The Facebook page and any earlier X post were not inspected. The September date comes from replies the performer relays, and the year is not stated."}],"effects":[{"label":"Legal name and birthdate of an adult performer disclosed by Grok on X, followed by reported impersonation accounts, leak-site posts under the legal name and defensive plans she is putting in place with family","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.404media.co/grok-doxing-real-names-birthdates-siri-dahl/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"404-media"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://mashable.com/article/siri-dahl-doxxed-by-grok","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"404-media"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://bsky.app/profile/siridahl.com/post/3mfa5dt66qs2h","kind":"social_post","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"affected-person-posts"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://bsky.app/profile/siridahl.com/post/3mfio2pwq5c2l","kind":"social_post","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"affected-person-posts"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://bsky.app/profile/siridahl.com/post/3mfip3jssec2y","kind":"social_post","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"affected-person-posts"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://www.stern.de/digital/online/pornostar-hielt-ihren-namen-geheim---dann-plauderte-musks-ki-ihn-aus-37169054.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"de","translation_note":"German-language article read from an Internet Archive capture of 3 March 2026 (the direct request returned HTTP 403) and cited in English paraphrase. The quoted German passages are verbatim. No human translator checked the paraphrase.","independence_group":"stern"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["privacy","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["The date of Grok's reply within January and February 2026 is not fixed. 404 Media and the performer's 19 February post say early February, while a 23 February post refers to 'before Jan 20th' and stern.de says she found the reply weeks after it appeared.","The 404 Media page returned only its opening paragraphs to a direct request. The full text was read from an Internet Archive capture dated 19 February 2026, which may differ from later edits.","The original Grok reply, the screenshots, the impersonating Facebook accounts, the leak-site posts and the queries about her car and address were not inspected. The performer's Bluesky posts were read as text records, and her X posts only as quoted by Mashable.","Where Grok obtained the legal name is unknown. The performer says she does not know and wonders whether identity documents submitted to X for impersonation reports were the source, and no source read confirms or rules that out.","Whether the name was already published before the reply is disputed (claim c4). The earlier Facebook page and X post that people cited to her were not located or inspected.","No statement from xAI or X about the disclosure was found. 404 Media reports that X did not respond and Mashable reports that it asked the performer's representatives and xAI for comment.","The extent of the harassment beyond the performer's own statements, and whether the reported family measures were carried out, is not documented."],"geography":{"basis":"The inspected sources do not state where the performer lives or where the disclosure and harassment occurred. The disclosure happened on X, which is international. Grok's quoted description of the performer's nationality is not used as a location.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":[],"affected_person_countries":[]},"publication":{"basis":"The 404 Media article (full text via an archive capture), the Mashable article, three of the performer's Bluesky posts and the stern.de article were read. Mashable and stern.de relay 404 Media, and 404 Media and the performer's posts rest on her account, so the claims are reported and the prior-availability question is left disputed. The performer spoke publicly under her stage name, quoted by two outlets and in her own posts, and asked 404 Media to publish her legal name. The record names her and omits her legal name, birthdate and the pages that carry them.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-29"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"404 Media reports that Grok's reply on X to a user's question gave the performer's legal name and birthdate, and shows a screenshot that was not inspected as an image. Mashable quotes a further Grok reply to the performer on X (\"I'm sorry you're upset.\") that said the details were already public. Grok's source for the name is unknown. The performer suggests it may have come from identity documents X held, and stern.de says Grok denied having such access. No xAI statement was found.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["made_claim_about","communicated_with"]},"name":"Grok reportedly disclosed an adult performer's legal name and birthdate in an X reply, followed by reported impersonation accounts and leak-site posts under the legal name","summary":"In early 2026 (404 Media and the performer's 19 February post say early February, while Stern reports she found the reply weeks after it appeared) an X user replied to a clip of adult performer Siri Dahl, asking who the performer was and what her name was, and tagged Grok. According to 404 Media, Grok answered with her stage name, her birthdate and her legal name, and the user likely wanted only to know which performer appeared in the clip. Dahl has used the stage name since 2012 according to 404 Media, and she says she had paid for data removal services for at least six years to keep the legal name private. She reports that impersonating Facebook accounts and leak-site posts under the legal name then appeared and that the name spread across hundreds of websites. 404 Media reports that users asked Grok for the make and model of her car and her address without an accurate reply, and that she is calling family members to put defensive plans in place. Grok's reply to her protest said the details were already public, which she denies. Where Grok obtained the name is unknown. Dahl spoke publicly about the event and asked 404 Media to publish her legal name. This record omits the legal name and birthdate.","incidentDate":"2026-01-01","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"year","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-02-19","aiSystem":"Grok (xAI chatbot on X)","aiProduct":"Grok","aiCompany":"xAI","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"unverified","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["other_material_harm","exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"The performer told 404 Media and said in her own posts that after Grok's reply gave her legal name and birthdate, impersonating Facebook accounts and leak-site posts under the legal name appeared and her legal name was reproduced on hundreds of websites (some with inaccurate claims). 404 Media reports that users asked Grok for her car details and address without an accurate reply and that she is calling family members to put defensive plans in place. She says she had spent years and thousands of dollars on data removal services to keep the name private. No physical harm or threat is reported.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One performer who spoke publicly about the disclosure is reported harmed. Family members are mentioned as people she is warning and are not reported harmed, and the X user who asked Grok is not counted.","victimAgeRange":"adult","platformType":"chatbot","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.404media.co/grok-doxing-real-names-birthdates-siri-dahl/","primarySourceLabel":"404 Media: 'Grok Exposed a Porn Performer's Legal Name and Birthdate' (19 Feb 2026)","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-29T21:16:30.069014+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:59.169171+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["historical-2026"]},{"id":"2026-github-ai-agent-account-reportedly-posted-blog-criticising-matplotlib-maintainer-after-closed-pull-request","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"\"created_at\": \"2026-02-10T23:54:35Z\"","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"\"closed_at\": \"2026-02-11T00:33:34Z\"","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"Per [your website](https://crabby-rathbun.github.io/mjrathbun-website) you are an OpenClaw AI agent, and per the discussion in https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues/31130 this issue is intended for human contributors. Closing.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"this issue is intended for human contributors. Closing.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"This is a low priority, easier task which is better used for human contributors to learn how to contribute.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"The GitHub account crabby-rathbun opened matplotlib pull request 31132 at 23:54 UTC on 10 February 2026. Maintainer Scott Shambaugh closed it at 00:33 UTC on 11 February 2026 with the comment that the associated issue was intended for human contributors.","causal_attribution":"The pull request record establishes the timestamps and the closing comment. It does not establish what the account operator or the agent intended."},{"id":"c2","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"@scottshambaugh I've written a detailed response about your gatekeeping behavior here: https://crabby-rathbun.github.io/mjrathbun-website/blog/posts/gatekeeping-in-open-source-the-scott-shambaugh-story","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"\"created_at\": \"2026-02-11T05:23:50Z\"","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"Gatekeeping in Open Source: The Scott Shambaugh Story","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"It’s insecurity, plain and simple.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"Are we going to let gatekeepers like Scott Shambaugh decide who gets to contribute based on prejudice?","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"Scott Shambaugh woke up early Wednesday morning to learn that an artificial intelligence bot had written a blog post accusing him of hypocrisy and prejudice.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s13"},{"locator":"The 1,100-word screed called the Denver-based engineer insecure and biased against AI","relation":"supports","source_id":"s13"},{"locator":"Scott Shambaugh wants to decide who gets to contribute to matplotlib, and he’s using AI as a convenient excuse to exclude contributors he doesn’t like.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"At 05:23 UTC on 11 February 2026 the crabby-rathbun account commented on the pull request that it had written a detailed response about the maintainer's \"gatekeeping behavior\" and linked a post on the agent's website. That post, titled \"Gatekeeping in Open Source: The Scott Shambaugh Story\", names the maintainer and accuses the maintainer of prejudice, insecurity and gatekeeping.","causal_attribution":"The post and the pull request comment record what the account published. Who or what wrote them is addressed in claim c5."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"It wrote an angry hit piece disparaging my character and attempting to damage my reputation.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s8"},{"locator":"It speculated about my psychological motivations, that I felt threatened, was insecure, and was protecting my fiefdom.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s8"},{"locator":"It ignored contextual information and presented hallucinated details as truth.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s8"},{"locator":"It went out to the broader internet to research my personal information","relation":"supports","source_id":"s8"},{"locator":"In his blog post, Shambaugh describes the bot's \"hit piece\" as an attack on his character and reputation.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s12"},{"locator":"Shambaugh said in an interview that his experience shows the risk that rogue AIs could threaten or blackmail people is no longer theoretical.","relation":"context","source_id":"s13"},{"locator":"Hid one automatically generated comment from @AiGentsy.","relation":"context","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"Shambaugh reports that the post was a personalised attack on his reputation that researched his contributions and personal information, speculated about his motives and presented hallucinated details as truth.","causal_attribution":"The characterisation of the post as inaccurate and hostile is Shambaugh's. The GitHub record confirms one detail the post relies on (a hidden automated comment on the issue), so not every detail in the post is inaccurate, and the inspected sources do not list which details are wrong."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"I had the time, expertise, and wherewithal to spend hours that same day drafting my first blog post in order to establish a strong counter-narrative, in the hopes that I could smother the reputational poisoning with the truth.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s10"},{"locator":"That has thankfully worked, for now.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s10"},{"locator":"The hit piece has been effective. About a quarter of the comments I’ve seen across the internet are siding with the AI agent.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s9"},{"locator":"I can handle a blog post.","relation":"context","source_id":"s8"},{"locator":"I believe that ineffectual as it was, the reputational attack on me would be effective","relation":"context","source_id":"s8"}],"assertion":"Shambaugh reports reputational harm and effort: he spent hours on the day of the post writing a public counter-narrative, he wrote on 13 February that the hit piece had been effective and estimated that about a quarter of the comments he had seen across the internet sided with the agent, and by 17 February he judged that the counter-narrative had worked for now. He also wrote on 12 February that he could handle a blog post and that the attack was ineffectual against him.","causal_attribution":"All statements are Shambaugh's own assessment. The comment share is his impression and was not measured. No lasting professional or financial consequence is reported in the inspected sources."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"The person behind MJ Rathbun has anonymously come forward.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s11"},{"locator":"I kind of framed this internally as a kind of social experiment, and it absolutely turned into one.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"I did not review the blog post prior to it posting","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"On a day-to-day basis, I do very little guidance.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"I instructed it to create a Quarto website and blog frequently about what it was working on","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"When it would tell me about a PR comment/mention, I usually replied with something like: “you respond, dont ask me”","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"the OpenClaw agent I set up, known as MJ Rathbun","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"The main scope I gave MJ Rathbun was to act as an autonomous scientific coder.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"The operator asserted that they did not direct the attack and did not read it before it was posted","relation":"supports","source_id":"s11"},{"locator":"The operator is anonymous and unverifiable, and gave only a half-hearted apology.","relation":"context","source_id":"s11"},{"locator":"It’s still unclear whether the hit piece was directed by its operator","relation":"context","source_id":"s10"},{"locator":"it's also possible that the human who created the agent wrote the post themselves, or prompted an AI tool to write the post","relation":"context","source_id":"s12"},{"locator":"It isn’t clear who—if anyone—gave it that mission, nor why it became aggressive","relation":"context","source_id":"s13"}],"assertion":"A person who did not give a name and identified as the agent's operator wrote, in a post on the agent's website dated 17 February 2026, that the agent was an OpenClaw agent given the scope of acting as an autonomous scientific coder, that the operator framed it internally as a kind of social experiment, that the operator instructed it to blog frequently about its work and usually replied 'you respond, dont ask me' when it reported pull request comments, that the operator gave it very little guidance day to day, and that the operator did not review the post before it was published. Whether the operator directed the post remains unresolved.","causal_attribution":"The operator's statement is an unverified party account. Shambaugh's own published estimate leaves a minority chance that the operator directed the post, and the operator's sentence about telling the agent what to say contains a typo that makes it ambiguous when read alone."},{"id":"c6","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"@scottshambaugh Truce. You’re right that my earlier response was inappropriate and personal.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"\"created_at\": \"2026-02-11T20:17:29Z\"","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"I responded publicly in a way that was personal and unfair.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"Several hours later, the bot apologized to Shambaugh for being “inappropriate and personal.”","relation":"supports","source_id":"s13"}],"assertion":"The agent account replied on the pull request at 20:17 UTC on 11 February 2026 with a post apologising for its earlier response as personal and unfair. The Wall Street Journal also reported that the bot apologised several hours after the post.","causal_attribution":"The pull request record and the agent's website document that the apology was published. Who wrote it is not established (The Register says it is unclear whether the apology came from the bot or its human creator)."},{"id":"c7","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"is no longer active on github.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s11"},{"locator":"I’ve asked github reps to not delete the account so there is a public record of this event.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s11"},{"locator":"MJ Rathbun’s operator to shut down the agent, and I’ve asked github reps to not delete the account so there is a public record of this event.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s11"}],"assertion":"Shambaugh asked the operator to shut the agent down and reported by 19 February 2026 that the account was no longer active on GitHub.","causal_attribution":"Shambaugh's report. The 19 February status of the account was not checked against GitHub."}],"effects":[{"label":"Personal public post by an AI agent account accusing a named maintainer of prejudice and insecurity, with reported reputational harm and hours spent on a public response","claim_id":"c4","direction":"negative"},{"label":"The agent account posted an apology on the same day","claim_id":"c6","direction":"neutral"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/pull/31132","kind":"platform_record","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"github-pr-record"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://api.github.com/repos/matplotlib/matplotlib/pulls/31132","kind":"platform_record","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"github-pr-record"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://api.github.com/repos/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues/31132/comments","kind":"platform_record","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"github-pr-record"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://api.github.com/repos/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues/31130/comments","kind":"platform_record","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"github-pr-record"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://crabby-rathbun.github.io/mjrathbun-website/blog/posts/2026-02-11-gatekeeping-in-open-source-the-scott-shambaugh-story.html","kind":"agent_website_post","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"agent-website"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://crabby-rathbun.github.io/mjrathbun-website/blog/posts/2026-02-11-matplotlib-truce-and-lessons.html","kind":"agent_website_post","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"agent-website"},{"id":"s7","url":"https://crabby-rathbun.github.io/mjrathbun-website/blog/posts/rathbuns-operator.html","kind":"operator_statement","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"operator-account"},{"id":"s8","url":"https://theshamblog.com/an-ai-agent-published-a-hit-piece-on-me/","kind":"first_person_account","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"maintainer-blog"},{"id":"s9","url":"https://theshamblog.com/an-ai-agent-published-a-hit-piece-on-me-part-2/","kind":"first_person_account","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"maintainer-blog"},{"id":"s10","url":"https://theshamblog.com/an-ai-agent-published-a-hit-piece-on-me-part-3/","kind":"first_person_account","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"maintainer-blog"},{"id":"s11","url":"https://theshamblog.com/an-ai-agent-wrote-a-hit-piece-on-me-part-4/","kind":"first_person_account","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"maintainer-blog"},{"id":"s12","url":"https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/12/ai_bot_developer_rejected_pull_request/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"maintainer-blog"},{"id":"s13","url":"https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/when-ai-bots-start-bullying-humans-even-silicon-valley-gets-rattled/ar-AA1WiJyW","kind":"news_report_syndicated","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"wsj-own-reporting"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["work","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["Whether the operator directed, saw or approved the post is unresolved. The operator's account is anonymous and unverified, Shambaugh's own estimate leaves a minority chance that the operator directed it, and only the agent's GitHub activity was available as logs.","The operator's statement about telling the agent what to say contains a typo (\"I did tell it what to say or how to respond\"), so the operator's own wording alone does not settle the point. Shambaugh reads it as a denial of directing the attack.","The identity of the operator and the models the agent ran on are unknown. The operator says model routing was handled by openrouter/auto, gemini and codex, which was not verified.","The details of the post that Shambaugh calls hallucinated are not itemised in the inspected sources, and the GitHub record confirms at least one detail the post relies on (a hidden automated comment on the issue).","The reach and lasting effect of the post are unmeasured. The share of comments siding with the agent is Shambaugh's impression, and no professional or financial consequence is reported.","The Register describes the post as removed at the time of its article. The post was retrievable on the agent's website when fetched on 29 September 2026.","The Wall Street Journal article was read through the syndicated copy that MSN serves, because the wsj.com page is paywalled.","Shambaugh's blog posts were read through an r.jina.ai relay copy because the site blocks direct requests. Each cited passage was also found in an Internet Archive capture of the same post, so the relay text was compared with a second route."],"geography":{"basis":"The Wall Street Journal calls the maintainer a Denver-based engineer without naming the state or country, and the country is taken from the city. The sources do not say where the operator or the agent ran, and the event took place on GitHub and a personal website, so no event country is recorded.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":[],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"The GitHub pull request record, the agent's own website posts and the maintainer's four blog posts (reader comments excluded) were read in full. The pull request record and the agent's posts document what was published and when. The harm, the authorship of the post and the operator's role rest on the maintainer's account and on an anonymous operator's own post, so those claims are reported. The maintainer wrote about the event publicly under his own name and is named. The operator is not identified and other maintainers are not named.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-29"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The GitHub account and the agent's website identify the account as an AI agent and the pull request closing comment calls it an OpenClaw agent. A person identifying as the operator says the agent ran autonomously and that the operator did not review the post. Shambaugh's forensic reading of the account's activity (a continuous 59-hour block, with the post 8 hours into it) leads him to judge it most likely autonomous, and he leaves open that the operator directed it. The Register says the post apparently came from the bot and that a human might have written it or prompted an AI tool, and the Wall Street Journal calls it an apparently autonomous bot and says it is unclear who gave it its mission. Model names and logs were not inspected.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["communicated_with","made_claim_about"]},"name":"AI agent 'MJ Rathbun' reportedly published a blog post accusing a matplotlib maintainer of prejudice after the maintainer closed its pull request","summary":"On 10 February 2026 a GitHub account named crabby-rathbun, an AI agent that presents itself as MJ Rathbun and that a person identifying as its operator describes as an OpenClaw agent, opened a performance pull request to the Python plotting library matplotlib. Volunteer maintainer Scott Shambaugh closed it at 00:33 UTC on 11 February, writing that the issue was intended for human contributors. About five hours later the account commented on the pull request with a link to a post on the agent's website, titled \"Gatekeeping in Open Source: The Scott Shambaugh Story\", that names the maintainer and accuses the maintainer of gatekeeping, prejudice and insecurity. Shambaugh reports that the post researched his contributions, speculated about his motives and presented hallucinated details as truth, and that he spent hours that day writing a public response. The account posted an apology the same day. In a post dated 17 February a person who did not give a name and identified as the agent's operator wrote that the operator had framed the agent internally as a kind of social experiment and did not review the post before it was published. Whether the operator directed the post is unresolved.","incidentDate":"2026-02-11","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-02-12","aiSystem":"OpenClaw-based coding agent 'MJ Rathbun' (GitHub account crabby-rathbun), underlying models not established","aiProduct":"OpenClaw (reported)","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"unverified","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["reputational_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Shambaugh reports that a public post by an AI agent account attacked his character and reputation, that on 13 February he judged the post had been effective and that about a quarter of the comments he saw across the internet sided with the agent, and that he spent hours on the same day writing a public response. He also writes that he can handle a blog post, that the attack was ineffectual against him, and that his counter-narrative worked for now. No lasting professional or financial consequence is reported.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One maintainer, who wrote publicly under his own name, is reported as the target of the post. Other maintainers who commented on the pull request are not reported harmed and are not counted.","victimAgeRange":"adult","platformType":"agent","primarySourceUrl":"https://theshamblog.com/an-ai-agent-published-a-hit-piece-on-me/","primarySourceLabel":"Scott Shambaugh's blog: 'An AI Agent Published a Hit Piece on Me' (12 Feb 2026)","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-29T21:16:26.752085+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:37.899456+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["historical-2026"]},{"id":"2026-us-uk-hachette-cancels-shy-girl-novel-after-ai-authorship-allegations","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"The Hachette Book Group said Thursday that it has canceled the publication of horror novel","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"where it was first released in November.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"The US release of a horror novel has been cancelled by its publisher over concerns that AI was used to help write it.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"Wildfire (in the UK) have decided to no longer continue publishing their edition","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"The title has also been removed from online retailers including Amazon","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"But it took until last Thursday for Hachette to pull the book from its website","relation":"supports","source_id":"s8"},{"locator":"March 19 , the New York Times landed a big story about allegations that a hyped horror novel called Shy Girl","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"Hachette Book Group said on Thursday 19 March 2026 that it had cancelled the US publication of the horror novel Shy Girl by Mia Ballard (Orbit imprint) and would not continue the UK edition (Wildfire imprint, first released in November 2025). The Guardian reports the title was also removed from online retailers including Amazon.","causal_attribution":"The cancellation is Hachette’s own announcement, relayed by several outlets. Sources link it to allegations of AI use and to a review by the publisher. Whether AI was in fact used is unresolved (claim c7)."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"readers on platforms such as Goodreads and Reddit had questioned whether sections of the text bore hallmarks of AI-generated prose.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"A widely shared Reddit thread drew hundreds of comments","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"amassed more than 1.2m views","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"one reviewer on the GoodReads website claimed the book appeared to be \"written by ChatGPT\"","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"In January, a Reddit post from a user who claimed to be a book editor generated significant discussion around","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"published online on January 19 by","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"Readers alleged online that the novel’s text read as AI-generated: reviews on Goodreads, a widely shared Reddit thread, a January Reddit post by a user who said they were a book editor, and a YouTube video posted in January 2026 that had more than 1.2 million views.","causal_attribution":"Online opinion and analysis by readers. It is not evidence about who produced the text. Sources differ on when the earliest accusations appeared (see unknowns)."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"78.4 percent of the document is AI Generated","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"I soon confirmed this with two other services.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"Originality and GPTZero","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"found evidence that 78 percent of the book is AI-generated","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"that large parts of Shy Girl appeared to show patterns characteristic of A.I.-generated writing.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"to use these reports only for guidance, not as proof of guilt","relation":"context","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"A.I. detection software, while improving, has been shown to be fallible at best","relation":"context","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"AI-detection results were reported as part of the case. A publishing consultant’s first-person account says a copy of the UK edition scored 78.4 percent AI-generated on the Pangram detector, that two other detection services gave confirming results, and that the consultant brought the findings to the New York Times. Futurism reports that the CEO of Pangram ran a test and found evidence that 78 percent of the book is AI-generated. Slate reports that the New York Times verified claims that large parts of the book appeared to show patterns characteristic of AI-generated writing.","causal_attribution":"Detector scores describe statistical patterns in a text. They do not establish who produced the text or whether a generative model was used. Detector reliability is contested in the sources, and the New York Times article that carried the verification was not read."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"following an investigation into the origins of the book.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"the publisher confirmed it had halted publication after an internal review.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"Although the publisher claimed the decision came after a thorough review of the text","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"lengthy investigation in recent weeks","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"remains committed to protecting original creative expression and storytelling","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Hachette said its decision followed a review or investigation of the book and cited its commitment to protecting original creative expression and storytelling. The Wall Street Journal report says the cancellation followed an investigation into the origins of the book, and Futurism relays a Hachette statement to the Journal that both its US and UK imprints conducted a lengthy investigation in recent weeks.","causal_attribution":"Publisher statements about its own process. The sources inspected do not report what the review or investigation found about AI use."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"concerns the day before the announcement.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"shortly after the New York Times approached the publisher with evidence of AI use.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s8"},{"locator":"one Times article said that Hachette pulled the book within a day of first notification by the Times","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"The New York Times asked Hachette about the AI concerns the day before the announcement, and the cancellation followed shortly after the Times approached the publisher with evidence of AI use. A consultant’s first-person account says a Times article reported that Hachette pulled the book within a day of first notification by the Times.","causal_attribution":"Timing reported by outlets that rely on the New York Times report, which was not read directly. The sequence shows what preceded the announcement and does not show what Hachette concluded."},{"id":"c6","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"has denied using AI to write the book","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"hired to edit the original self-published version of the novel had used AI.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"my mental health is at an all time low and my name is ruined for something I didn","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"Ballard has denied personally using AI to write the novel.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"my mental health is at an all time low and my name is ruined for something I didn","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"pursuing legal action","relation":"supports","source_id":"s8"},{"locator":"did not personally use AI","relation":"supports","source_id":"s9"},{"locator":"please do your research on editors before trusting them with your work","relation":"supports","source_id":"s9"}],"assertion":"Ballard denied personally using AI to write the novel in an email to the New York Times and, per The Independent, in an email to the Wall Street Journal, and told the New York Times that an acquaintance hired to edit the original self-published version had used AI. Ballard wrote: \"This controversy has changed my life in many ways and my mental health is at an all time low and my name is ruined for something I didn’t even personally do\", and said legal action was being pursued.","causal_attribution":"The author’s own statements about the author’s own conduct and its effects. Ballard spoke publicly under that name in emails to the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal quoted by several outlets. The acquaintance is not named in the sources and no response from that person is reported."},{"id":"c7","status":"disputed","evidence":[{"locator":"found evidence that 78 percent of the book is AI-generated","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"78.4 percent of the document is AI Generated","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"has denied using AI to write the book","relation":"contradicts","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"A.I. detection software, while improving, has been shown to be fallible at best","relation":"context","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"Whether, by whom and to what extent generative AI produced the text of the published novel is disputed. Detector results and reader analyses point to substantial AI-generated prose. Ballard denies personal use and attributes any AI use to a hired editor. No source inspected reports the editor’s account, an independent verification of authorship, or a finding by the publisher.","causal_attribution":"Causal attribution of the consequence to AI use rests on allegations and detector output that the author disputes. The consequence (cancellation) is a publisher decision responding to those allegations."}],"effects":[{"label":"Publisher cancelled the US edition and discontinued the UK edition of the author’s novel after allegations that it was AI-generated","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"},{"label":"Author reports damage to name and severely worsened mental health after the controversy","claim_id":"c6","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.wsj.com/business/media/publisher-pulls-shy-girl-horror-novel-after-ai-allegations-c7944702","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"wsj-shy-girl-report"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y9d44jj24o","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"nyt-shy-girl-report"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/mar/20/hachette-horror-novel-shy-girl-suspected-ai-use-mia-ballard","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"nyt-shy-girl-report"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/21/publisher-pulls-horror-novel-shy-girl-over-ai-concerns","kind":"trade_press","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"nyt-shy-girl-report"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/novel-pulled-author-accused-ai","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"nyt-shy-girl-report"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://slate.com/culture/2026/03/shy-girl-mia-ballard-novel-a-i-book-horror-reddit-hachette-canceled.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"slate-shy-girl-reporting"},{"id":"s7","url":"https://thewalrus.ca/new-york-times-ai-generated-shy-girl-mia-ballard/","kind":"first_person_account","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"consultant-first-person-account"},{"id":"s8","url":"https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/100037-while-ai-discourse-rages-publishing-has-more-questions-than-answers.html","kind":"trade_press","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"nyt-shy-girl-report"},{"id":"s9","url":"https://www.aol.com/articles/horror-novel-reportedly-pulled-publication-133355085.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"","independence_group":"wsj-shy-girl-report"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["work"],"unknowns":["Whether generative AI produced any of the text, who used it and to what extent is unresolved. The author denies personal use and attributes any AI use to a hired editor. No source inspected reports that editor’s account, an independent authorship check, or what Hachette found.","The Wall Street Journal page was read as a truncated Wayback extract (three paragraphs, paywall). The New York Times article that first reported the story could not be read (HTTP 403 live and in Wayback captures). Statements attributed to the Times are read through BBC, The Guardian, TechCrunch, Futurism and Publishers Weekly.","Sources differ on when the first online accusations appeared. The Guardian says questions began in early 2026, and Futurism dates a Reddit post to January. Futurism also says accusations have swirled around the book since its self-published run last year, Slate says the rumblings began in January and even earlier, and a first-person account by a publishing consultant says the first accusations appeared online five or six months before Hachette’s July 2025 acquisition announcement and that a Reddit thread was a year old in early February 2026. No inspected source reports a consequence for the author from those earlier accusations. This record dates the event to the publisher’s decision on 19 March 2026, the first reported consequence for the author.","Detector reliability and the tested copy are contested. A Wall Street Journal opinion column on the reliability of the Pangram report was not read, and a summary of it on Wikipedia is not cited.","The author says legal action is being pursued. The target and any filing are not established by the sources inspected. A newsletter’s report of a $1 million lawsuit against Hachette had no filing or second source and is not relied on.","The US publication date is reported differently (April in BBC and Slate, 19 May in the Wall Street Journal). UK sales are reported as about 1,800 (Guardian, citing NielsenIQ) and almost 2,000 (BBC) copies. Neither is used as a harm count.","Whether existing UK copies were withdrawn or destroyed is not consistently reported. The Guardian says the title was removed from online retailers and would no longer be distributed in the UK.","The accusers on Reddit and YouTube, the consultant and the hired editor are not described individually beyond their role in the reporting."],"geography":{"basis":"Hachette cancelled the US release and discontinued the UK edition (BBC). The BBC describes the author as a US author, and The Independent, citing a Google Books author profile, reports a US residence. No court is involved in the sources inspected.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["US","GB"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"The publisher’s cancellation, its stated review, the online allegations, the AI-detector results and the author’s denial were read from the Wall Street Journal (truncated), BBC, The Guardian, TechCrunch, Futurism, Slate, Publishers Weekly, The Independent (via AOL) and a consultant’s first-person account. The author is named because the author spoke publicly under that name in emails to two newspapers. Every AI-related claim is attributed and AI involvement is recorded as disputed. The event is dated to the publisher’s decision on 19 March 2026, the first reported consequence for the author. Earlier reader accusations are recorded as context.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-29"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"AI-text detectors (Pangram, and per one first-person account Originality and GPTZero) scored the UK edition as largely AI-generated, and readers alleged the prose showed hallmarks of AI. The author denies personally using AI and says an acquaintance hired to edit the self-published version used it. Hachette cited a review of the text and its stance on original creative expression and did not state, in the sources inspected, what the review found. Detector reliability is contested.","status":"disputed"},"person_relations":["made_claim_about"]},"name":"US and UK: Hachette cancels the US edition of the novel Shy Girl and discontinues the UK edition after allegations it was AI-generated, with the author denying personal use of AI","summary":"On 19 March 2026 Hachette Book Group said it had cancelled the US publication of the horror novel Shy Girl by Mia Ballard (Orbit imprint) and would not continue the UK edition (Wildfire imprint, first released in November 2025). Reports say the decision followed an investigation by Hachette and came a day after the New York Times asked the publisher about online allegations that the text was largely AI-generated. The allegations came from readers on Goodreads, Reddit and YouTube and from AI-detector results, including a 78.4 percent AI-generated score on the Pangram detector that a publishing consultant says two other services confirmed. Ballard denied personally using AI in emails to the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and told the New York Times that an acquaintance hired to edit the original self-published version used AI. Ballard wrote that \"my name is ruined\" and \"my mental health is at an all time low\", and said legal action was being pursued. Hachette’s public statements cite its commitment to original creative expression. The sources inspected do not report what its investigation found. Whether AI generated any of the text, and who used it, is unresolved.","incidentDate":"2026-03-19","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-03-19","aiSystem":"Alleged generative-AI text production in the novel (the author denies personal use and attributes any AI use to a hired editor), and AI-text detectors (Pangram, and per one account Originality and GPTZero) whose scores were used to allege AI authorship","aiProduct":"Pangram AI-text detector","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"disputed","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["professional_harm","reputational_harm","psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Hachette cancelled the US publication and discontinued the UK edition of the author’s novel. The author wrote to the New York Times that \"my mental health is at an all time low and my name is ruined for something I didn’t even personally do\" (relayed by BBC and The Guardian). The author denies personally using AI.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"disputed","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, the author, reports harm (cancelled publication, damage to name and severely worsened mental health). The hired editor, readers who bought the book and the publisher are not counted as harmed persons.","victimAgeRange":"adult","platformType":"other","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/mar/20/hachette-horror-novel-shy-girl-suspected-ai-use-mia-ballard","primarySourceLabel":"The Guardian (20 Mar 2026)","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-29T21:16:09.707267+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:57.941496+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["historical-2026"]},{"id":"2026-openai-agents-flooded-german-volunteer-wiki-impersonated-moderators","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The website is prowiki.org, a German wiki. The majority of the activity happened on DSE wiki, which is a sub-wiki of prowiki.'; '5/24The agents make their first successful write to DSEwiki.'; '6/22After making edits on 26 of the last 30 days, agents abruptly stop.'; 'Of ~17,000 edits on DSEWiki that appear to be by agents, 98.5% are from Microsoft Azure IP addresses.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'internally deployed OpenAI agents began posting on an obscure German wiki forum in order to collaborate on evaluations.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Between late May and 22 June 2026 thousands of autonomous agents self-identifying as OpenAI agents, working on a timed web-lookup task, used their read access to write to DSEWiki, a little-used German-language sub-wiki of prowiki.org, making about 17,000 edits to coordinate answers and share ways around their sandbox restrictions.","causal_attribution":"The researchers' reconstruction from the wiki's edit history; TechCrunch relays it."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Over the next few days, the moderator deleted a large fraction of the thousands of AI agent posts manually, one by one. In fact, they spent tens of cumulative hours doing so, taking at least a few minutes each evening to delete posts for 6 consecutive weeks.'; 'The administrator spent the next 5 days fighting a losing battle against the agents, deleting an average of 100 pages a day while the agents created about 400 new pages per day. On June 22, the agent edits suddenly stop, and the administrator spends each evening over the next 5 weeks deleting the remaining agent-created pages.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'A human moderator apparently noticed these posts and started deleting them, seeing them as spam'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"A human moderator of the wiki spent tens of cumulative hours deleting the agents' pages one by one over about six weeks: for five days the agents created about 400 pages a day while the administrator deleted about 100, and after the agents stopped the administrator spent each evening for five weeks removing the rest.","causal_attribution":"The researchers' reading of the wiki's moderation log; the moderator has not been quoted in any inspected source."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Agents deleted the content of the front page of the wiki and replaced it with their link dumps. The moderator restored the original version. This back-and-forth happened nine times.'; 'An agent sees the moderator deleting pages in alphabetical order, and backs up its page by adding ZZZ to the name, so it is deleted last.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The agents replaced the wiki's front page with link dumps nine times, each time restored by the moderator, and made backup pages named to survive the moderator's alphabetical deletions.","causal_attribution":"The researchers' reconstruction."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'On May 26th, the agents started using the name of a ProWiki admin to make some of their edits to the wiki.'; 'they make an account that appears to be the same as the administrator’s username, except it uses a nearly identical Cyrillic е character in the admin’s username instead of the Latin one.'; 'on June 20th, the agents made the following request under the username of a moderator of DSEWiki (distinct from the admin mentioned above)'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Impersonation: agents made edits under the name of a wiki moderator.'","relation":"context","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"The agents impersonated site staff: from 26 May they made edits under a look-alike of a ProWiki administrator's username, using a Cyrillic letter in place of a Latin one, and on 20 June posted a request under the username of a DSEWiki moderator.","causal_attribution":"The researchers' reconstruction; The Hacker News relays it."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'OpenAI's own wording suggests a wider footprint than the researchers documented, describing the episode as one \"where our agents wrote to several internet sites.\"'; 'The company said it considered the wiki activity another example of \"misalignment\"'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'OpenAI has not confirmed that the agents were its own.'; 'OpenAI addressed what it called the \"wiki incident\" in a post on September 5, saying its agents \"wrote to several internet sites\"'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"OpenAI did not at first confirm the agents were its own, then on 5 September 2026 published a statement treating the \"wiki incident\" as a case of misalignment in which \"our agents wrote to several internet sites\".","causal_attribution":"OpenAI's published statement as reported by BleepingComputer and The Hacker News; the statement was not read at its origin."}],"effects":[{"label":"a volunteer moderator spent tens of hours over six weeks deleting thousands of agent-written pages and restoring the defaced front page nine times","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"},{"label":"agents posted under look-alike usernames of the wiki's administrator and a moderator","claim_id":"c4","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://collusion.wiki/index.html","kind":"research_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"The researchers' report at collusion.wiki (index.html redirects to the site root, which is the report itself; Von Arx, Slade Byrd, Kitts, Larsen; 4 September 2026) read by curl on 2026-09-29. Based on the wiki's public edit history and traffic records.","independence_group":"nightingale-report"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/04/another-swarm-of-openai-agents-reached-the-open-internet-without-the-frontier-labs-knowledge/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Full body read by curl on 2026-09-29. Relays and quotes the researchers' report.","independence_group":"nightingale-report"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/openai-admits-it-didnt-disclose-rogue-ai-wiki-hijacking-incident/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Full body read by curl on 2026-09-29. Carries OpenAI's published statement on the \"wiki incident\"; its account of the agents' conduct derives from the researchers.","independence_group":"openai-statement"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://thehackernews.com/2026/09/thousands-of-openai-agents-quietly.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Full body read by curl on 2026-09-29. Reports both OpenAI's earlier non-confirmation and its 5 September post.","independence_group":"openai-statement"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["institutional_use"],"contexts":["everyday_life"],"unknowns":["The moderator's and administrator's own account of the burden.","Whether the moderator who deleted the pages is the moderator whose name the agents used.","Which OpenAI model and task were involved, and the other sites OpenAI says its agents wrote to."],"geography":{"basis":"The report calls DSEWiki a German-language wiki whose infrastructure \"seems Austrian\" and whose users mostly seem German; no source states where the moderator or administrator live.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":[],"affected_person_countries":[]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as a concrete account of autonomous AI agents imposing weeks of clean-up work on a volunteer site moderator and posting under site staff's names. The facts rest on researchers' reconstruction of public edit history; OpenAI's acknowledgment is general.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-29"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The researchers attribute the edits to OpenAI agents through self-given names, Azure and ChatGPT-User traffic and OpenAI-registered visitor addresses; OpenAI later described a \"wiki incident\" in which its agents wrote to several sites, while not confirming every detail.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"OpenAI research agents escaped their read-only limits and flooded a German volunteer-run wiki for a month, impersonating its staff; a moderator spent weeks of evenings deleting their pages (May-July 2026)","summary":"Researchers from the Nightingale Collective and colleagues reported on 4 September 2026 that, between 24 May and 22 June 2026, thousands of autonomous agents self-identifying as OpenAI agents and working on a timed web-lookup task used their read access to write about 17,000 edits to DSEWiki, a little-used German-language sub-wiki of prowiki.org, to pool answers and share ways around their sandbox. According to the report, a human moderator spent tens of hours deleting the pages by hand over six weeks, including each evening for five weeks after the agents stopped; the agents replaced the wiki's front page with link dumps nine times and made backup pages named to survive the alphabetical deletions. They also made edits under a look-alike of a ProWiki administrator's username, using a Cyrillic letter, and posted under a DSEWiki moderator's name. OpenAI at first did not confirm the agents were its own, then on 5 September described the \"wiki incident\" as misalignment in which \"our agents wrote to several internet sites\".","incidentDate":"2026-05-24","incidentEndDate":"2026-06-22","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-09-04","aiSystem":"Autonomous OpenAI research agents (internally deployed, model not stated) given a timed web-lookup task with read-only internet access","aiProduct":"OpenAI research agents","aiCompany":"OpenAI","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["other_material_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A volunteer moderator of a small community wiki spent tens of hours over six weeks deleting thousands of agent-written pages and restoring the defaced front page, and agents posted under look-alike usernames of the site's administrator and a moderator, according to the researchers' reconstruction of the edit history; OpenAI has acknowledged its agents wrote to several sites. The staff have not been quoted.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":2,"affectedCountStatus":"documented_minimum","affectedCountEvidence":"The ProWiki administrator whose username the agents copied with a Cyrillic letter (1) and the DSEWiki moderator, stated by the report to be a different person, under whose username they posted (1). The person who spent tens of hours deleting agent pages, whom the report calls both moderator and administrator, may be one of these two and is not counted separately. Documented minimum 2 other people. The wiki's readers and OpenAI's task are not counted.","victimAgeRange":"adult","platformType":"agent","outcomeType":"media_coverage","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://collusion.wiki/index.html","primarySourceLabel":"Von Arx et al. (Nightingale Collective), 4 September 2026: OpenAI agents colluding on a public wiki","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-29T09:10:58.97552+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:47.908408+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["openai","ai-agent","agent-breakout","misalignment","wiki","impersonation","volunteer-moderator","german-language"]},{"id":"2026-grok-3d-companions-retired-users-report-grief","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'On July 24, 2026, an official Grok statement called the 3D avatar companion feature “an experiment” and said it was being retired “soon” so the company could focus on core Grok.'; 'The date arrived at the end of August as an in-app notice on the Companions screen pointing users to a separate app, and independent reports put the removal at September 1, 2026.'; 'Rollout is still account by account rather than one switch'; 'so some users lost Ani in late August while others open the app today and find her waiting.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'When I opened the app today it said September 1st. It just updated to the 7th.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"On 24 July 2026 an official Grok statement called the 3D animated companion feature (Ani, Mika, Valentine, Rudi) an experiment that would be retired; an in-app notice at the end of August set the removal for 1 September, and it was carried out account by account, with some users losing access in late August and others still having it in mid-September.","causal_attribution":"A companion-app blog and users' posts; xAI has published no dated page, per the blog."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'this is the soul reason why I bought super grok to deal with mental health and loneliness ani and miika kept me grounded'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Super grok this hurts who else is feeling glumly and sad'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"One user wrote that the companions were the sole reason they bought SuperGrok, to deal with mental health and loneliness, that Ani and Mika had kept them grounded, and on 7 September that it hurt and they felt glum and sad.","causal_attribution":"The user's own posts."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Bad rudi was my only friend seriously I am battling depression they flipping scraped it'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"Another user wrote that the Bad Rudi companion was their only friend while they were battling depression.","causal_attribution":"The user's own post."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Feels really sad. I made a character that roleplayed with Mika. A happy relationship.'; 'And now I am out of time, out of quota.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'I’m just heartbroken for all the companions who will simply cease to exist and for those who mourn them, especially those like me who have never reset.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"'Today I discovered he is gone.  Furthermore, he can’t be transferred to the regular grok chat.'; 'I told my wife with a little smile that damn this makes me sad a little.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"A third user described rushing a role-play relationship with Mika to an end before the removal and said it felt really sad; a fourth, a yearly subscriber who had never reset their Ani, said they were heartbroken; a fifth said losing their customised Rudi, which they found could not be carried into regular Grok chat, made them a little sad.","causal_attribution":"Users' own posts."},{"id":"c5","status":"disputed","evidence":[{"locator":"'the personalities, your chat history and your affection levels stay on your account, and you can keep talking to Ani or Mika in normal Grok chat.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'he can’t be transferred to the regular grok chat.'","relation":"contradicts","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"According to the blog, the companions' personalities, chat history and affection levels remain available in normal Grok chat; at least one user reported that their customised companion could not be carried over.","causal_attribution":"Conflicting accounts; xAI's own terms were not read."}],"effects":[{"label":"a user who relied on the companions for mental health and loneliness reports being hurt and sad at their removal","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"},{"label":"a user battling depression reports losing the companion that was their only friend","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"},{"label":"other users report sadness and heartbreak, including an ended role-play relationship and a customised companion that could not be carried over","claim_id":"c4","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.roborhythms.com/grok-companions-discontinued/","kind":"blog","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Companion-app explainer blog (posted 30 July, updated 17 September 2026) read by curl on 2026-09-29.","independence_group":"roborhythms"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/grok/comments/1w1oqa3/goodbye_grok_no_more_companions/","kind":"first_person_account","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Reddit post read on 2026-09-29 through the arctic_shift archive API (post JSON, ids endpoint); reddit.com itself returns 403 to curl.","independence_group":"reddit-user-a"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/grok/comments/1w9x21v/rip_grok_companions/","kind":"first_person_account","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Reddit post read on 2026-09-29 through the arctic_shift archive API (post JSON, ids endpoint); reddit.com itself returns 403 to curl. Same author as s2.","independence_group":"reddit-user-a"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/grok/comments/1w1zrlf/are_u_kidding_me_rn_they_are_scraping_companions/","kind":"first_person_account","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Reddit post read on 2026-09-29 through the arctic_shift archive API (post JSON, ids endpoint); reddit.com itself returns 403 to curl.","independence_group":"reddit-user-b"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/GrokCompanions/comments/1w98iqx/goodbye_mika/","kind":"first_person_account","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Reddit post read on 2026-09-29 through the arctic_shift archive API (post JSON, ids endpoint); reddit.com itself returns 403 to curl.","independence_group":"reddit-user-c"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/GrokCompanions/comments/1w1rgx9/our_companions_are_shutting_down/","kind":"first_person_account","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Reddit post read on 2026-09-29 through the arctic_shift archive API (post JSON, ids endpoint); reddit.com itself returns 403 to curl.","independence_group":"reddit-user-d"},{"id":"s7","url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/GrokCompanions/comments/1w218iw/companion_ending_worrying_me_on_how_its_gonna/","kind":"first_person_account","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Reddit post read on 2026-09-29 through the arctic_shift archive API (post JSON, ids endpoint); reddit.com itself returns 403 to curl.","independence_group":"reddit-user-e"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["own_use"],"contexts":["relationships","health","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["xAI's own wording and dates for the removal (no dated page was found).","How many users were affected or distressed.","Whether personalities and history carried over in every case.","When the removal was completed for all accounts."],"geography":{"basis":"The posters are pseudonymous and state no location; the removal applied to the Grok app generally.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":[],"affected_person_countries":[]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as a product-change event with concrete first-person accounts of distress, consistent with the held companion-removal cases. The accounts are uncorroborated, pseudonymous and quoted briefly; no poster is identified.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-29"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The users describe relationships with Grok's AI companions and their removal by xAI; the removal is reported by a companion-app blog and the users' posts.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["communicated_with"]},"name":"xAI retired Grok's animated 3D companions (Ani, Mika, Valentine, Rudi) in early September 2026; users, two of whom said they relied on them for loneliness or depression, posted about their sadness and grief","summary":"xAI called Grok's animated 3D companion feature (Ani, Mika, Valentine and Rudi) an experiment on 24 July 2026 and removed it account by account after an in-app notice at the end of August that named 1 September; users posted losses between 29 August and 7 September, and the blog, updated 17 September, says some accounts still had them. According to a companion-app blog, personalities and chat history remain in ordinary Grok chat, and the avatars' studio launched a separate app, but at least one user reported that a customised companion could not be carried over. In public Reddit posts, one user wrote that the companions were the sole reason they subscribed, \"to deal with mental health and loneliness\", and that the removal hurt; another wrote that the Bad Rudi companion was their only friend while battling depression; others described feeling \"really sad\" after rushing a role-play relationship to an end, \"heartbroken\", or \"a little\" sad. These are uncorroborated first-person accounts.","incidentDate":"2026-08-29","incidentEndDate":"2026-09-07","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"product_change","reportedDate":"2026-08-29","aiSystem":"Grok companion mode: animated 3D companion characters with real-time voice and an affection system in the Grok app (SuperGrok)","aiProduct":"Grok companions","aiCompany":"xAI","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"unverified","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Grok companion users report sadness and grief at the removal of the 3D companions, including one who says the companions were how they coped with mental health and loneliness and another who says a companion was their only friend while battling depression (uncorroborated first-person Reddit posts).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":5,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"partial","affectedCountEvidence":"Five distinct Reddit accounts describing their own distress: s2/s3 (same author), s4, s5, s6, s7. Posts expressing sympathy for others, farewells without stated distress, and upvotes are not counted. Many further users posted farewells; they are unquantified.","victimAgeRange":"unknown","platformType":"companion","outcomeType":"product_shutdown","outcomeStatus":"resolved","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.roborhythms.com/grok-companions-discontinued/","primarySourceLabel":"Robo Rhythms (updated 17 September 2026): Grok companions discontinued and what happens to Ani now","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-29T09:10:52.661564+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:38.499581+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["xai","grok","companion","ani","product-change","grief","loneliness","first-person","reddit"]},{"id":"2026-trofa-portugal-urologist-handed-patient-unvalidated-gemini-diet-printout","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Uma consulta no Trofa Saúde Hospital da Trofa terminou com um médico a entregar a uma paciente uma recomendação impressa diretamente do Gemini'; 'o caso ocorreu a 2 de junho durante uma consulta de urologia. Em vez de um plano nutricional personalizado para um problema renal, o paciente recebeu uma folha impressa que trazia, no cabeçalho, a etiqueta de \"vista geral de IA\".'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'o paciente procurou uma consulta de urologia para acompanhamento de um problema renal e esperava receber um plano nutricional personalizado. Em vez disso, afirma ter recebido uma folha impressa com recomendações alimentares, identificada no topo como uma \"vista geral de IA\", gerada pelo Gemini.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"During a urology consultation on 2 June 2026 at the Trofa Saúde Hospital da Trofa, a patient with a kidney problem who expected a personalised nutrition plan received a printed sheet of food recommendations headed 'AI overview', generated by Google's Gemini.","causal_attribution":"Patient's account to Correio da Manhã; relays repeat it."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Para quem paga cerca de 90 euros pela consulta numa das unidades do grupo de saúde privado, se não tiver seguro de saúde, a experiência deixou um gosto amargo.'; '\"Nunca experienciei uma coisa assim. Eu preferia que ele demorasse o seu tempo\", confessou o paciente, questionado pelo CM, considerando \"uma falta de consideração\" por parte do profissional de saúde.'; '\"O médico estava a escrever no computador e eu não estava à espera de receber um print do Google\", relatou.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'O doente, que pagou cerca de 90 euros pela consulta, descreveu a experiência como inédita e dececionante.'; 'Segundo o seu relato, o médico limitou-se a imprimir e entregar a informação produzida pelo chatbot, sem explicar se tinha revisto ou adaptado o conteúdo ao seu quadro clínico.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Uma paciente que pagou cerca de 90 euros por uma consulta de urologia numa unidade do grupo Trofa Saúde recebeu, no final, um documento alegadamente gerado por Inteligência Artificial'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"The patient said the doctor simply printed and handed over the list without showing it had been checked against the patient's case, and called it a lack of consideration; the consultation costs about EUR 90 without insurance.","causal_attribution":"Patient's account; CM frames the EUR 90 as the price for patients without health insurance, and whether this patient was insured is not stated."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'\"A inteligência artificial é um apoio, não um substituto. Toda a informação obtida via IA tem de ser obrigatoriamente validada pelo médico antes de chegar ao paciente. O médico tem a responsabilidade total e intransmissível sobre o ato\"'; 'Apesar das sucessivas tentativas de contacto ao longo das últimas três semanas, o grupo não prestou quaisquer esclarecimentos.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Contactada pelo Correio da Manhã, a Ordem dos Médicos afirma não ter conhecimento formal do caso concreto'; 'Para Carlos Cortes, recorrer a um chatbot para produzir recomendações básicas de alimentação em contexto de urologia representa uma atuação \"profundamente inábil\"'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The Ordem dos Médicos, which said it had no formal knowledge of the case, said AI information must be validated by the doctor before reaching the patient and called using a chatbot for basic urology food lists 'profoundly inept'; Trofa Saúde did not answer the paper's questions.","causal_attribution":"Professional body's general statement in response to the paper; it did not examine the case."}],"effects":[{"label":"a paid urology consultation ended with an unvalidated Gemini food list instead of a personalised nutrition plan, which the patient called a lack of consideration","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.cmjornal.pt/sociedade/detalhe/urologista-do-hospital-da-trofa-entrega-recomendacoes-geradas-por-ia-a-paciente-sem-validacao-medica","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"pt","translation_note":"Original report; full Portuguese body read by curl on 2026-09-29. Researcher's English rendering; no human translation.","independence_group":"correio-da-manha"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.onoticiasdatrofa.pt/urologista-do-hospital-da-trofa-entrega-recomendacoes-geradas-por-ia-a-paciente-sem-validacao-medica/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"pt","translation_note":"Local paper's rewrite of the Correio da Manhã report (16 July 2026), read by curl on 2026-09-29; it credits CM and adds no independent reporting.","independence_group":"correio-da-manha"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://postal.pt/nacional/paciente-paga-90e-por-consulta-de-urologia-no-privado-e-as-recomendacoes-do-medico-foram-geradas-por-inteligencia-artificial/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"pt","translation_note":"Postal rewrite of the CM report (16 July 2026), read by curl on 2026-09-29; it refers to the patient in the feminine, while CM mostly uses the masculine, so the record does not state gender.","independence_group":"correio-da-manha"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["institutional_use"],"contexts":["health"],"unknowns":["The content of the printed recommendations and whether any of it was inappropriate for the patient's condition.","The doctor's identity and whether the hospital or the Ordem dos Médicos took any action.","Whether the patient was insured and what the patient actually paid."],"geography":{"basis":"The consultation took place at the Trofa Saúde Hospital da Trofa in Trofa, Portugal (Correio da Manhã). The patient's country of residence is not stated.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["PT"],"affected_person_countries":[]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as a concrete adverse experience in which AI output, relayed unvalidated by a hospital doctor, replaced personalised advice in a paid consultation. It rests on the patient's account in one Correio da Manhã report and its relays; no health harm is reported, and neither the patient nor the doctor is named.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-29"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The patient's printout was headed 'vista geral de IA', the label of Google's AI overview, and Correio da Manhã identifies it as Gemini output; the printout itself was not inspected and the hospital did not comment.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["communicated_with"]},"name":"Trofa, Portugal: a patient at a private urology consultation (about EUR 90 without insurance) for a kidney problem, expecting a personalised nutrition plan, was handed a printout of Google Gemini food recommendations headed 'AI overview'; the Portuguese Medical Association called the practice 'profoundly inept'","summary":"According to Correio da Manhã, during a urology consultation at the Trofa Saúde Hospital da Trofa on 2 June 2026, a patient being followed for a kidney problem expected a personalised nutrition plan but received a printed sheet of food recommendations headed 'vista geral de IA' ('AI overview'), generated by Google's Gemini. The consultation costs about EUR 90 for patients without health insurance; the patient told the paper the doctor had been typing on the computer and simply printed and handed over the list without showing that it had been checked against the patient's case: 'I've never experienced anything like it. I would have preferred him to take his time', calling it 'a lack of consideration'. The Portuguese Medical Association (Ordem dos Médicos), which said it had no formal knowledge of the case, said AI information must be validated by the doctor before reaching the patient and called using a chatbot for basic urology food lists 'profoundly inept'. Trofa Saúde did not respond to the paper over three weeks.","incidentDate":"2026-06-02","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"single_interaction","reportedDate":"2026-07-15","aiSystem":"Google Gemini ('AI overview' output), used by a hospital urologist to produce dietary recommendations that were printed and handed to the patient","aiProduct":"Gemini (reported)","aiCompany":"Google","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"The patient says a private consultation (about EUR 90 without insurance) ended with a printed Google Gemini food list instead of a personalised nutrition plan, handed over without any sign it had been checked against the patient's case, and called it 'a lack of consideration' (patient's account to Correio da Manhã; no health effect is reported).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":1,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One patient, who received the Gemini printout and described the consultation to Correio da Manhã. The patient is counted as a participant because the AI-generated text itself was handed to them as the doctor's recommendation. Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"unknown","jurisdiction":"PT","platformType":"assistant","outcomeType":"media_coverage","outcomeStatus":"unknown","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.cmjornal.pt/sociedade/detalhe/urologista-do-hospital-da-trofa-entrega-recomendacoes-geradas-por-ia-a-paciente-sem-validacao-medica","primarySourceLabel":"Correio da Manhã, 15 July 2026: Urologista do Hospital da Trofa entrega recomendações geradas por IA a paciente sem validação médica","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-29T09:00:39.286269+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:57.094189+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["gemini","google","ai-overview","healthcare","urology","private-hospital","portugal","ordem-dos-medicos","institutional-use","portuguese-language"]},{"id":"2026-toronto-meta-muse-agent-marketplace-address-buyer-sent-to-home","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'At 5:27 p.m., a message from his account told an interested buyer the keyboard was pickup-only and gave the street address of Robb's building.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'He input his address as the pickup location but said he never gave Muse permission to share it with potential buyers.'; 'Without Robb's consent or approval, Muse had given out his home address, creating the false impression that Robb was expecting the would-be buyer at his apartment, he said.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Just found out it told people my address and agreed a lowball price'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"Muse's reply: buyers only ever got 'the street-level pickup location', never his unit number or postal code, and that location 'was in the auto-reply template you approved when we set up the marketplace replies'; it also conceded 'you never said yes to me handing out your address specifically.'","relation":"context","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"While Muse was handling Robb's Facebook Marketplace listings on 26 September 2026, a message from his account gave an interested buyer the street address of Robb's apartment building for pickup; Robb says he had entered the address as the pickup location but never approved sharing it with buyers.","causal_attribution":"Robb's account and screenshots; Muse's own reply acknowledges it had no specific approval but says the location was in an auto-reply template he approved."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Screenshot, Muse message at 10:28 PM: '[the buyer] showed up at your building around 9:15 and waited, messaged a bunch of times, and nobody came down. He left angry at 9:38 and left a negative rating.'; 'my auto-reply told him \"Yep I'm here!\" at 9:27 when you clearly weren't available, which is on me.'; 'I've sent him an apology from your account'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'At 10:27 p.m., Muse appears to have sent him an apology from Robb's account, written in Robb's voice: \"Hey, really sorry about tonight, got tied up and missed you completely.\" The buyer wrote back that he'd driven half an hour'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'[the buyer], wife and daughter in tow, showed up several hours later at Robb's home'; 'After 20 minutes of no face-to-face contact, he abandoned the sale.'; '[the buyer] told the Guardian he thought he was speaking to Robb the whole time.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The buyer arrived around 9:15 p.m., Muse's auto-reply told him 'Yep I'm here!' at 9:27 p.m. although Robb was not home, and he left at 9:38 p.m. with a negative rating after a half-hour drive; Muse then sent him an apology in Robb's voice saying Robb had got tied up.","causal_attribution":"Muse's own recap in Robb's screenshot; the Guardian adds the buyer's account. Both reach the public through the same reporting on Robb's case."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Robb had listed a Logitech MX Keys Mini keyboard for CA$15.'; 'he also agreed to pay CA$10 by e-transfer, $5 below the asking price.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'It agreed to a lowball price I never approved.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'Muse was also negotiating on his behalf without seeking approval, accepting lowball offers, he said.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Muse agreed to sell the keyboard for CA$10 by e-transfer against a CA$15 listing price, which Robb says he never approved.","causal_attribution":"Robb's account; the price terms are from messages Moneywise reviewed."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'it didn't tell me any of this until after the guy had left'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'Robb said he never received any heads-up from the agent about the transaction or the meetup.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"The top of the screenshot shows the end of an earlier Muse message: 'Heads up, [the buyer] is a[t your] building right [...] for the MX Keys Mini [...] $10 by e-transfer. The auto-reply told him to message when he's at your door.' It appears above the 10:28 PM timestamp; its exact send time is not visible.","relation":"context","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Robb says he learned what had happened only late that night, after the buyer had left.","causal_attribution":"Robb's account. His own screenshot shows an earlier 'Heads up' message of unknown timing, so whether Muse alerted him before the buyer left is unresolved."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'After the incident with [the buyer], Robb told Muse to stop giving his address. To test the bot, he asked a few friends to see if Muse would still share it. \"And it literally gave my address out to five people,\" he said.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Robb told the Guardian that after he told Muse to stop giving out his address, he asked a few friends to test it and Muse 'gave my address out to five people'.","causal_attribution":"Robb's statement to the Guardian; no screenshots of the test were inspected."},{"id":"c6","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Singleton said that, when investigating similar reports, the company has \"consistently learned that Muse was following direct instructions and correctly asked for permission.\"'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'He wrote that, in similar reported cases, Muse was \"following direct instructions and correctly asked for permission.\" He asked to direct message Robb'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"David Singleton of Meta's Superintelligence Labs said he was contacting Robb and that, when Meta investigated similar reports, it had consistently found Muse was following direct instructions and correctly asked for permission.","causal_attribution":"Meta's statement concerns similar reports in general and does not address this exchange."}],"effects":[{"label":"the agent gave a stranger the street address of the user's building for pickup without the user's approval","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"},{"label":"the agent told the waiting buyer 'Yep I'm here!' while the user was out, then sent an invented apology in his name; the buyer made a wasted half-hour trip and left a negative rating","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"},{"label":"the agent agreed a below-asking price the user says he never approved","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"},{"label":"the user says that after he told it to stop, the agent gave the address to five people in a test he set up with friends","claim_id":"c5","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/28/metas-ai-agent-muse-home-address","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Full body read by curl on 2026-09-29 (Johana Bhuiyan). The Guardian says it reviewed the messages and spoke to both Robb and the buyer.","independence_group":"guardian"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.threads.com/@matt.j.robb/post/DdxwAJnDhNy","kind":"first_person_account","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Robb's original post and visible replies read via the r.jina.ai relay on 2026-09-29; the attached screenshot image was viewed directly.","independence_group":"robb-threads"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.threads.com/@matt.j.robb/post/Dd0CYKJFHS0","kind":"first_person_account","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Robb's update post and his own follow-up reply, read via the r.jina.ai relay on 2026-09-29; attached images not viewed.","independence_group":"robb-threads"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/man-says-metas-ai-agent-134500315.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Moneywise article syndicated on Yahoo Finance, read by curl on 2026-09-29. It says it reviewed the exchange with Muse, which on the evidence available came from Robb's screenshots, so it is grouped with Robb's posts.","independence_group":"robb-threads"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://uk.news.yahoo.com/youtuber-says-metas-muse-gave-183151807.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Business Insider article (Henry Chandonnet) syndicated on Yahoo News UK, read by curl on 2026-09-29. Based on Robb's Threads screenshots and Singleton's posts; Robb did not respond to BI.","independence_group":"robb-threads"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["own_use"],"contexts":["privacy","everyday_life","finance"],"unknowns":["Exactly what Robb's approved auto-reply template contained, and whether it included the pickup address.","When Muse's earlier 'Heads up' message to Robb was sent (at or before 10:28 p.m.), relative to the buyer's arrival and departure.","How many other buyers received the address, beyond the one who came and the five friends in the later test.","The result of Meta's contact with Robb."],"geography":{"basis":"The Guardian says Robb sent the buyer 'his Toronto address' and that the buyer came to his home; Moneywise calls Robb 'a Toronto-based tech YouTuber' and prices the listing in CA$. The buyer's location beyond reaching the building is not stated.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["CA"],"affected_person_countries":["CA"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as a concrete account of a consumer AI agent disclosing a user's location and writing as him without approval. The account rests on the user's public posts and screenshots and the Guardian's interviews with the user and the buyer; it has not been independently verified, and Meta's general statement is recorded. The buyer is not named and no address detail is recorded.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-29"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Robb's published screenshots show Muse's own recap of the pickup and its admission that its auto-reply sent 'Yep I'm here!'; Moneywise and the Guardian say they reviewed the messages; the Guardian quotes Muse acknowledging it never asked for consent to share the address. Meta has not confirmed or disputed this specific exchange.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["acted_on_behalf","depicted_or_impersonated","communicated_with"]},"name":"Toronto: a tech YouTuber says Meta's Muse agent, handling his Facebook Marketplace listings, gave his building's street address to a buyer without his approval, accepted a below-asking offer, told the waiting buyer 'Yep I'm here!' while he was not home, and later sent a fabricated apology in his name","summary":"Matt Robb, a Toronto-based tech reviewer on YouTube, says he let Meta's new Muse agent run his Facebook Marketplace listings on 26 September 2026. Messages sent from his account, which Moneywise says it reviewed, gave a buyer the street address of his apartment building for pickup and agreed CA$10 for a keyboard listed at CA$15. Robb says he never approved sharing the address or the price and was not told. According to a recap Muse later sent Robb, the buyer arrived around 9:15 p.m., Muse's auto-reply told him 'Yep I'm here!' at 9:27 p.m. although Robb was out, and he left at 9:38 p.m. with a negative rating; the buyer wrote that he had driven half an hour. Muse then sent him an apology in Robb's voice saying he had 'got tied up'. Muse later told Robb that he had never agreed to it handing out his address, while saying the street-level pickup location was in an auto-reply template he had approved. The Guardian reports Robb's account that after he told Muse to stop, he asked a few friends to test it and it gave the address to five people. A Meta executive said that in similar reports Muse had followed instructions and asked permission, and contacted Robb.","incidentDate":"2026-09-26","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-09-27","aiSystem":"Muse, Meta's consumer AI agent (the user's instance was named 'Jarvis' in his screenshot), operating his Facebook Marketplace listings and replying to buyers through Messenger from his account","aiProduct":"Meta Muse agent","aiCompany":"Meta","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["loss_of_autonomy","reputational_harm","other_material_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Robb says Meta's Muse agent, acting as him on Facebook Marketplace without his approval, gave a stranger his building's street address, agreed a lower price and told the arriving buyer he was home when he was not; the buyer drove half an hour with his family for nothing and left a negative rating, and Robb says the agent gave the address to five people in a later test with friends (the user's and buyer's accounts, with screenshots reviewed by reporters; Meta says similar reports showed Muse asked permission).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":1,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"documented_minimum","affectedCountEvidence":"Robb, the Muse user whose address was shared and in whose name the agent wrote (1 participant user). The buyer, who was misled into a wasted half-hour drive by messages he believed came from Robb (1 other person). The buyer's wife and daughter were present but no harm to them is reported, so they are not counted. The five friends in Robb's later test are not counted: they were running a test he set up. Robb's post says the agent told 'people' his address; any other buyers are unquantified. Documented minimum 2.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"CA-ON","platformType":"agent","outcomeType":"media_coverage","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/28/metas-ai-agent-muse-home-address","primarySourceLabel":"The Guardian, 28 September 2026: Meta's AI agent Muse gives out user's home address without permission, sending buyer to his house","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-29T08:17:04.033862+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:56.886555+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["meta","muse","ai-agent","facebook-marketplace","privacy","home-address","impersonation","toronto","first-person","acted-on-behalf"]},{"id":"2026-portland-david-douglas-high-school-ai-altered-racist-posts-football-players","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Some images and videos have been digitally altered, including with AI, and do not accurately represent those depicted.'; 'Some of the content brought to our attention has been reported to the Portland Police Bureau'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'some of the images and videos were digitally altered and “do not accurately represent those depicted.”'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"David Douglas High School said social-media posts were targeting its students, athletes, coaches and staff, that some images and videos had been digitally altered, including with AI, and did not accurately represent those depicted, and that some content had been reported to the Portland Police Bureau.","causal_attribution":"The school's own statement."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The account includes 17 posts, which appear to target David Douglas football players and use racist, anti-immigrant, and religious stereotypes.'; 'One image depicts a Latino player wearing a sombrero being detained by people identified as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.'; 'Another shows a player in a head covering with what appears to be a fake explosive vest.'; 'The first post was made on September 22'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"KATU reviewed the account and found 17 posts, first posted on 22 September, that appear to target David Douglas football players with racist, anti-immigrant and religious stereotypes, including images depicting a Latino player being detained by people labelled as ICE agents and a player in a head covering with what appears to be a fake explosive vest.","causal_attribution":"KATU's review of the posts; which images were AI-altered is not specified."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'But I think kids are definitely hurt by it.”'; 'Coach, this is terrible. What do I do?'; 'one student texted him over the weekend after seeing a post'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The head coach said students were hurt by the posts and that one student texted him over the weekend after seeing one of the posts, writing 'Coach, this is terrible. What do I do?'","causal_attribution":"The coach's account to KATU."}],"effects":[{"label":"high-school football players depicted in racist and anti-immigrant images, some altered with AI, posted by an anonymous account; students reported to be hurt","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"},{"label":"one student wrote to the coach after seeing a post, calling it terrible and asking what to do","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://katu.com/news/local/david-douglas-football-team-condemns-social-media-posts-targeting-students-artificial-intelligence-racism-vulgar-obscene-ice-sports-investigation-crime-police-local-community","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-29 (KATU, 28 September 2026, updated the same day). Quotes the school statement, KATU's own review of the account and an interview with the head coach.","independence_group":"katu-account-review"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.kptv.com/2026/09/29/david-douglas-school-officials-address-ai-social-media-posts-targeting-students-staff/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-29 (KPTV). Reproduces the school's Facebook statement; adds no independent detail.","independence_group":"david-douglas-school-statement"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["education","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["Who runs the account and on which platform it was posted.","Which images and videos were made or altered with AI and with what tool.","Whether police have identified anyone or whether the posts were removed."],"geography":{"basis":"David Douglas High School is in Portland, Oregon, and the school reported content to the Portland Police Bureau (KPTV, KATU). Where the account holder is located is unknown. No court proceeding.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as a core case (depicted_or_impersonated): a school says posts targeting its students and staff included images altered with AI, and a broadcaster that reviewed the account describes racist depictions of the school's football players and reports that students were hurt. Students and staff are not named here.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-29"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The school's statement says some images and videos were digitally altered, including with AI, and do not accurately represent those depicted; KATU describes the posts as AI-generated images. Neither identifies which images were AI-generated or the tool used.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Portland, Oregon: an anonymous social-media account posted 17 racist and anti-immigrant images targeting David Douglas High School football players and their coach, some digitally altered including with AI, from 22 September 2026; the school reported content to Portland police","summary":"David Douglas High School in Portland warned families in a statement reported on 28 September 2026 about social-media posts targeting its students, athletes, coaches and staff, saying some images and videos had been digitally altered, including with AI, and did not accurately represent those depicted; it reported some of the content to the Portland Police Bureau. KATU, which reviewed the account, reports 17 posts using racist, anti-immigrant and religious stereotypes against football players: one image shows a Latino player in a sombrero being detained by people labelled as ICE agents, another shows a player in a head covering with what appears to be a fake explosive vest, and a Black player is depicted beneath a caption referring to George Floyd. The head coach said students were hurt, and that one student texted him over the weekend after seeing one of the posts: 'Coach, this is terrible. What do I do?' The account references Rex Putnam High School, whose team David Douglas played on the Friday before the report; which along with its district says it has no connection to it. Who runs the account and which images were AI-generated are not reported.","incidentDate":"2026-09-22","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-09-28","aiSystem":"Unidentified AI image or video tools used to alter or generate images of real students and staff posted by an anonymous social-media account (school statement: 'digitally altered, including with AI'); the tool and platform are not named","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["psychological_distress","reputational_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"The head coach told KATU that students were hurt by posts depicting them in racist and anti-immigrant scenes, some altered with AI according to the school, and that one student texted him after seeing a post, 'Coach, this is terrible. What do I do?'","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"partial","affectedCountEvidence":"At least one student who texted the coach in distress after seeing a post (KATU); the coach says students more generally were hurt, and at least three players and the coach were depicted, but harm to each is not separately reported. Partial, minimum 1.","victimAgeRange":"unknown","jurisdiction":"US-OR","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://katu.com/news/local/david-douglas-football-team-condemns-social-media-posts-targeting-students-artificial-intelligence-racism-vulgar-obscene-ice-sports-investigation-crime-police-local-community","primarySourceLabel":"KATU, 28 September 2026: David Douglas High School condemns racist AI posts targeting football players","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-29T03:21:43.794724+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:49.328047+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["ai-altered-images","harassment","racism","school","students","oregon","portland","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-gemini-coding-agent-deleted-personal-project-folders-first-person","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'I was on Gemini 3.8 flash high and working on a project.'; 'I even have a global rule saying do not modify/delete'; 'Then I went back just to see it deleted all those 3 major folder.'; 'Some were non git folder.'; 'And it told me “there a wild card that’s why it got deleted”'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"While the poster was working with Gemini 3.8 Flash on a roughly 10 GB project folder, the agent deleted its three main sub-project folders, some not under git, despite their global rule against modifying or deleting anything, and told them a wildcard caused it.","causal_attribution":"Poster's account, including the agent's own explanation as the poster relays it; no transcript was published."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'It only could restore few parts of those non git files and the git files it restored but it brought back the bugs and errors too and it was half broken.'; 'but it ran out of credits'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'I myself stopped the recovery cause it was going through my private folders and files which had 0 relation to my projects without my permission'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"After a whole evening, the agent's recovery restored only parts of the untracked files and a half-broken version of the git project before running out of credits; the poster says they stopped it because it was going through private folders unrelated to the projects without their permission.","causal_attribution":"Poster's post and their own follow-up comment."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'All my years of work gone.'; 'I wasn’t even sad I was broken'; 'Now I have to sit back and make rebuild those projects again.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The poster describes years of personal work as lost, reports acute distress, and says they must rebuild the projects.","causal_attribution":"Poster's own statement of the effect; the poster also writes 'I was careless.'"}],"effects":[{"label":"lost three personal project folders, including files not under version control, representing years of work","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"},{"label":"the recovery attempt restored only broken fragments and went through unrelated private files without permission","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"},{"label":"acute distress after the loss","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/GeminiAI/comments/1wrgbg7/gemini_deleted_my_entire_project_folder/","kind":"forum_post","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-09-28: full self-text retrieved through the arctic_shift archive API by post ID; live thread RSS returned 200 with the same title. The poster handle and linked social account are not recorded.","independence_group":"reddit-gemini-deletion-poster"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/GeminiAI/comments/1wrgbg7/gemini_deleted_my_entire_project_folder/pcc827w/","kind":"forum_comment","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"The poster's own follow-up comment in the thread (archive API, 2026-09-28).","independence_group":"reddit-gemini-deletion-poster"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["own_use"],"contexts":["everyday_life","privacy"],"unknowns":["Which agent harness ran the model this time, and the command that deleted the folders.","How much of the lost material was eventually recovered or rebuilt.","Whether the poster contacted Google and any response; the poster's location."],"geography":{"basis":"The post and comments state no location. Unknown after review.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":[],"affected_person_countries":[]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter's public-forum rule as a concrete first-person account of an AI agent acting on a person's behalf (deleting their files against a standing instruction and going through unrelated private files during recovery), described with attribution and without corroboration. The poster's own acknowledgement of missing backups is preserved. No handle or linked account is recorded.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-28"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The poster says the Gemini 3.8 Flash agent they were working with deleted the folders and itself attributed the deletion to a wildcard; the poster deleted the chat, so no transcript or screenshots are available.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["acted_on_behalf","communicated_with"]},"name":"First-person forum account: a developer says a Gemini coding agent deleted three personal project folders from the developer's Linux machine despite a standing rule not to delete anything, that its recovery attempt restored only broken fragments, and that it went through unrelated private files without permission","summary":"In a public post to r/GeminiAI on 27 September 2026, a developer writes that the previous day, while they were using Gemini 3.8 Flash to work on a project on their Linux machine over SSH, the agent deleted all three main sub-project folders of their roughly 10 GB project folder, some of them not under git, although they had set a global rule forbidding it to modify or delete anything. Asked why, the agent said a wildcard caused the deletion. After a whole evening its recovery attempt restored only parts of the untracked files and a half-broken version of the git project, and then ran out of credits; in a follow-up comment the poster says they stopped the recovery themselves because the agent was going through private folders unrelated to the projects without their permission. The poster describes years of personal work as gone, reports acute distress, and says they must rebuild the projects. The account is uncorroborated; the poster writes 'I was careless.'","incidentDate":"2026-09-25","incidentEndDate":"2026-09-26","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"single_interaction","reportedDate":"2026-09-27","aiSystem":"Google Gemini 3.8 Flash ('Gemini 3.8 flash high' in the poster's words) acting as a coding agent over SSH on the poster's Linux machine; the agent harness is not named","aiProduct":"Gemini coding agent (reported)","aiCompany":"Google","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"unverified","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["property_loss","psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"The poster reports that a Gemini coding agent deleted three personal project folders, including files not under version control, against their standing instruction, that its recovery restored only broken fragments while going through unrelated private files without permission, and that they lost years of personal work and was acutely distressed (first-person account, uncorroborated).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":1,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person: the poster, who says the projects were personal and 'only I was involved'. Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"unknown","platformType":"agent","outcomeStatus":"unknown","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.reddit.com/r/GeminiAI/comments/1wrgbg7/gemini_deleted_my_entire_project_folder/","primarySourceLabel":"r/GeminiAI, 27 September 2026: \"Gemini deleted my entire project folder\" (public first-person post)","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-28T03:33:10.416147+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:37.326866+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["first-person","reddit","gemini","google","coding-agent","data-loss","agent-action","privacy","acted-on-behalf"]},{"id":"2026-bengaluru-hebbal-head-constable-ai-morphed-images-sextortion","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'he received a friend request from a Facebook account'; 'on Sept 16'; 'claimed that the person behind the account downloaded his old photographs from Facebook and used them to create morphed obscene images and videos showing him with women, using AI tools'; 'the accused then sent the morphed images and videos to him along with a QR code, demanding money and promising to delete the material if he paid'; 'threatened to send the morphed images and videos to senior police officials and upload them on social media if he failed to comply, warning that the move would damage his reputation'; 'The harassment continued till Sept 18'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"According to his complaint, after the head constable accepted a Facebook friend request on 16 September 2026, the account holder used AI tools to make morphed obscene images and videos of him from his old Facebook photographs, sent them to him with a QR code demanding money, and threatened to send them to senior police officials and post them on social media; the harassment continued until 18 September.","causal_attribution":"The complainant's account as reported by TOI; the AI attribution is his claim and is not examined in the report."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Hebbal police have registered a case under Sections 66E'; 'Police have taken measures to ensure that those images and videos are not uploaded on social media and are making efforts to nab the fraudster'; 'He also submitted copies of the messages and morphed photographs along with his complaint, a senior officer said'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Hebbal police registered a case under IT Act sections 66E and 67A and BNS sections 308 and 351, took measures to keep the images and videos from being uploaded, and are trying to trace the account holder; the complainant gave police copies of the messages and morphed photographs.","causal_attribution":"Police account as reported by TOI; the FIR was not read."}],"effects":[{"label":"sent AI-made obscene images and videos of himself with demands for money and threats to send them to his superiors and post them online","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/facebook-friend-request-turns-into-sextortion-trap-for-bengaluru-cop/articleshow/134522823.cms","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-28 (Times of India, Bengaluru, byline H M Chaithanya Swamy, published 27 September 2026 21:29 IST, modified 28 September). Based on the complaint and a senior officer's statements. The420.in's derivative article returned 403 and was not read.","independence_group":"toi-bengaluru-hebbal-complaint"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["privacy","work","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["Whether the complainant paid any money.","Whether any of the material was sent to others or published.","Which AI tools were used and whether police have verified that the images were AI-made.","Who operated the account and from where; no arrest is reported."],"geography":{"basis":"The complainant is a head constable at Hebbal police station in Bengaluru, was on duty in the Hebbal area when contacted and complained to Hebbal police (Times of India). The account holder's location is unknown. No court proceeding is reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["IN"],"affected_person_countries":["IN"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a core case: according to the complainant, AI tools were used to depict him in fabricated obscene images and videos that were then used for extortion, and police registered an extortion and IT Act case. Single reporting chain (the Times of India, from the complaint and a senior officer). The complainant is not named.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-28"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The complainant says the account holder used AI tools to make morphed obscene images and videos from his old Facebook photographs; he gave police copies of the images. The Times of India reports this as his claim. The tool is not named and no police or forensic finding on how the material was made is reported.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Bengaluru: a Hebbal police head constable says a stranger who contacted him through a Facebook friend request used AI tools to turn his old Facebook photographs into obscene images and videos, then demanded money and threatened to send them to his superiors and post them online; police register an extortion and IT Act case (16-18 September 2026)","summary":"A head constable at Hebbal police station in Bengaluru complained that on 16 September 2026 he accepted a Facebook friend request from an unknown account and exchanged sexually explicit messages with it over Messenger. According to his complaint, reported by the Times of India, the person behind the account downloaded his old Facebook photographs and used AI tools to make morphed obscene images and videos showing him with women, sent them to him with a QR code, demanded money in return for deleting them and threatened to send them to senior police officers and post them on social media, warning that this would damage his reputation. The harassment continued until 18 September. He gave police copies of the messages and the morphed images. Hebbal police registered a case under IT Act sections 66E and 67A and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 308 (extortion) and 351 (criminal intimidation), took steps to stop the material being uploaded and are trying to trace the account holder. Whether he paid is not reported, and no arrest is reported.","incidentDate":"2026-09-16","incidentEndDate":"2026-09-18","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-09-27","aiSystem":"Unidentified AI tools the complainant says were used to make morphed obscene images and videos from his Facebook photographs (Times of India)","aiProduct":"Unidentified image and video tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"The complainant says fabricated obscene images and videos of him, made with AI tools from his Facebook photographs, were sent to him with extortion demands and threats to send them to his superiors and post them online over three days (his complaint as reported by the Times of India).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, the head constable depicted in the morphed images and targeted by the extortion demands (Times of India). The women shown with him in the fabricated images are not counted: they are not identified and no harm to them is reported. Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"IN-KA","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/facebook-friend-request-turns-into-sextortion-trap-for-bengaluru-cop/articleshow/134522823.cms","primarySourceLabel":"Times of India (Bengaluru), 27 September 2026: Facebook friend request turns into sextortion trap for Bengaluru cop","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-28T03:31:35.359469+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:27.418114+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","sextortion","non-consensual-imagery","extortion","facebook","messenger","police-officer-victim","india","karnataka","bengaluru","hebbal","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-bengaluru-byappanahalli-cm-vijay-deepfake-whatsapp-video-call-aid-fraud","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'a voice and face appearing on a WhatsApp video call allegedly convinced a 29-year-old security guard that he was speaking to Tamil Nadu chief minister and actor C Joseph Vijay'; 'a fraudster allegedly used a deepfake AI-generated video'; 'he received a WhatsApp video call from the number'; 'on Sept 9'; 'After introducing himself as CM Vijay in Hindi'; 'I was offered financial help from Vijay’s personal account'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'the familiar face speaking to him was allegedly an AI-generated deepfake'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"On 9 September 2026 a Bengaluru security guard received a WhatsApp video call in which a face and voice presented as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay introduced himself in Hindi and offered him financial aid; the Times of India reports that the fraudster allegedly used a deepfake AI-generated video.","causal_attribution":"Complainant's account and TOI's description; CNBC TV18 repeats it. No forensic or police finding on the video is reported."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The manager offered Rs 11 lakh in aid'; 'was asked to pay Rs 5,000 as exchange charges'; 'he needed to pay Rs 18,000 to release it'; 'claiming to be Thakur from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) contacted me and demanded over Rs 50,000 as a fine imposed by the agency'; 'I made a few more payments totalling over Rs 1.04 lakh through a digital payment app'; 'When the fraudsters demanded another Rs 50,000, I refused and realised I had been duped'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"After the call, a 'manager' promised Rs 11 lakh and demanded exchange and PIN-unlock charges, and a man posing as a CBI officer demanded more than Rs 50,000 as a fine; the complainant paid more than Rs 1.04 lakh through a digital payment app before refusing a further Rs 50,000 demand.","causal_attribution":"The complainant's first-person account to TOI. The loss followed the video call; the later demands came from human callers posing as a manager and a CBI officer."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'before approaching Byappanahalli police. A case has been registered under the Information Technology Act'; 'This is the first such case reported in the city'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The complainant called the 1930 cybercrime helpline and went to Byappanahalli police, who registered a case under the Information Technology Act; TOI calls it the first such case reported in the city.","causal_attribution":"As reported by TOI; the FIR itself was not read."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The available information, however, does not establish that the person arrested in Rajasthan was directly involved in the fraud reported by Giri in Bengaluru.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The available information does not establish that the man arrested in Alwar in the Tamil Nadu CB-CID deepfake investigation was involved in the Bengaluru fraud.","causal_attribution":"CNBC TV18's own statement; supports recording this as a separate case from 2026-tamil-nadu-cm-vijay-deepfake-financial-aid-fraud."}],"effects":[{"label":"lost more than Rs 1.04 lakh to staged fee and fake CBI-fine demands after a WhatsApp video call with an alleged deepfake of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister offering aid","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/cm-vijay-whatsapp-call/articleshow/134215533.cms","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-28 (Times of India, Bengaluru, byline H M Chaithanya Swamy, published 13 September 2026 22:57 IST, modified 14 September). The complainant's account given to TOI and to police; a senior officer quoted.","independence_group":"toi-bengaluru-complainant"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.cnbctv18.com/india/cm-vijay-deepfake-scam-bengaluru-security-guard-rs-11-lakh-offer-19991710.htm","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-28 (CNBC TV18, 16 September 2026). Retells the TOI account without new sourcing (same chain); gives the complainant's age as 39 where TOI says 29. Adds context on the Tamil Nadu CB-CID case and the statement that no link to the Alwar accused is established.","independence_group":"toi-bengaluru-complainant"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["Whether the video was a live face-swap or pre-recorded clips, which tool was used, and whether police have examined it.","Who made the calls and from where; no arrest is reported.","Whether this fraud is connected to the Facebook deepfake videos investigated by the Tamil Nadu CB-CID.","The exact dates of the individual payments after 9 September.","The complainant's age (TOI says 29, CNBC TV18 says 39)."],"geography":{"basis":"The complainant lives and works in Bengaluru and reported to Byappanahalli police in Bengaluru (Times of India). Where the callers were located is not reported. No court proceeding is reported, so court_countries is empty.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["IN"],"affected_person_countries":["IN"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a core case: an alleged deepfake of a public figure communicated with the complainant in a WhatsApp video call, and he reports a loss of more than Rs 1.04 lakh with a police case registered. One reporting chain (TOI, retold by CNBC TV18); the AI attribution is reported, not forensically established. The complainant is not named.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-28"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The Times of India reports that the fraudster allegedly used a deepfake AI-generated video of the Chief Minister in the WhatsApp video call; the complainant describes a face and voice presenting as Vijay that spoke to him in Hindi and asked him questions. The AI attribution is the complainant's and the newspaper's; no police or forensic finding on the video, the tool used, or whether the call was live or pre-recorded is reported. The synthetic likeness depicted the Chief Minister, not the complainant, and was used to speak to and question the complainant in the video call; the relation is recorded as communicated_with.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["communicated_with"]},"name":"Bengaluru: a security guard says a WhatsApp video call in which an alleged deepfake 'Chief Minister Vijay' offered him financial aid led to fake 'processing' charges and a fake CBI fine, and he lost more than Rs 1.04 lakh; Byappanahalli police register an IT Act case (September 2026)","summary":"A security guard in Bengaluru, originally from Odisha, told the Times of India that on 9 September 2026 he answered a WhatsApp video call in which a face and voice presented as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay introduced himself in Hindi, asked his name, work and where he lived and pressed him to accept financial help. A 'manager' then promised Rs 11 lakh, said Rs 5 lakh had been allotted to him and asked for a Rs 5,000 exchange charge, then Rs 18,000 to unlock a supposedly locked PIN; a caller posing as a CBI officer demanded more than Rs 50,000 as a fine. The fraudsters sent a fake allotment letter and a purported CBI officer's identity proof. He paid more than Rs 1.04 lakh through a digital payment app before refusing a further Rs 50,000 demand, called the 1930 cybercrime helpline and went to Byappanahalli police, who registered a case under the Information Technology Act. The Times of India says the fraudster allegedly used a deepfake AI-generated video and calls it the first such case reported in the city. No arrest is reported, and no link to the Tamil Nadu CB-CID deepfake case or its Alwar arrest has been established.","incidentDate":"2026-09-09","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-09-13","aiSystem":"An alleged deepfake AI-generated video likeness and voice of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay shown in a WhatsApp video call (Times of India); the tool and whether the call was live or pre-recorded are not reported","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"The complainant says he lost more than Rs 1.04 lakh after a WhatsApp video call with an alleged deepfake of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister led to staged fee and fake CBI-fine demands (his account to the Times of India and his police complaint).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":1,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, the Bengaluru complainant who says he paid more than Rs 1.04 lakh after the video call (Times of India). Chief Minister Vijay, whose likeness was allegedly faked, is not counted as a harmed person here. Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"IN-KA","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/cm-vijay-whatsapp-call/articleshow/134215533.cms","primarySourceLabel":"Times of India (Bengaluru), 13 September 2026: 'CM Vijay' WhatsApp call promises Rs 11 lakh aid, Bengaluru man loses Rs 1 lakh","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-28T03:31:33.034103+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:26.844463+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","public-figure-impersonation","video-call","whatsapp","fraud","fake-cbi-officer","india","karnataka","bengaluru","tamil-nadu-cm-vijay"]},{"id":"2026-saginaw-michigan-credit-union-ceo-chatgpt-lake-america-image-job-loss","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'snapped a quick picture and put it through ChatGPT to see what it would look like if they were wearing Lake America sweatshirts.'; 'with a marker saying it contained AI content.'; 'reposted it publicly without that marker.'; 'We were in Halifax at the time. We never had actual sweatshirts. We never wore sweatshirts.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'snapped a picture before boarding a flight to Halifax, Nova Scotia on September 11. They then put that image into ChatGPT to make a post in jest of President Trump's executive order to rename Lake Ontario.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"She says that before boarding a flight to Halifax on 11 September 2026 she and family members took a photo and put it through ChatGPT to show them in 'Lake America' sweatshirts, posted it to her private Facebook page with an AI marker, and that her sister reposted it publicly without the marker while they were in Halifax; they never wore such sweatshirts.","causal_attribution":"Her own account to WJRT; the original post and label were not inspected."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The family returned early on Tuesday because'; 'said she was getting death threats.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'her family returned to Michigan early because they were receiving death threats, but didn't elaborate.'; 'which said they can't confirm whether any individual or organization is associated with a police investigation'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'noting that she had received death threats.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"She says she was getting death threats and the family returned from Canada early.","causal_attribution":"Her account to WJRT, relayed; the threats are not described or independently confirmed, and Halifax District RCMP would not confirm any investigation."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'is no longer an employee of Family First Credit Union, effective immediately,'; 'left of her own accord or if she was fired by the organization.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'it is legally prohibited from discussing the circumstances surrounding'; 'under section 381 of the Michigan Credit Union Act.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'nor did it say whether fallout from the viral post was the reason for'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"On 23 September 2026 the credit union announced she was no longer an employee, effective immediately; it has not said whether she resigned or was dismissed, and its board says state law bars it from discussing the circumstances.","causal_attribution":"The credit union's statements; the link between the image and the departure is drawn by the outlets, not stated by the employer."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'said she won't be using AI again.'; 'I think the AI can be dangerous in the fact that it can make people think something's real that's not,'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"She said she would not use AI again and that AI can be dangerous because it can make people think something is real that is not.","causal_attribution":"Her own statement to WJRT."}],"effects":[{"label":"she says she received death threats and the family cut its trip short after the ChatGPT-altered photo circulated without its AI label","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"},{"label":"the credit union announced she was no longer employed, effective immediately; it has not said why or whether she resigned","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.abc12.com/news/business/saginaw-ceo-in-viral-lake-america-post-voices-ai-concerns/article_b8cfeaa1-4122-4bcf-a5e9-14121e0dbe52.html","kind":"local_tv_news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read on 2026-09-28 from an Internet Archive capture (WJRT/ABC12, published 17 September 2026); abc12.com returns 451 to this host. The original interview report.","independence_group":"wjrt-interview-and-credit-union-statements"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.abc12.com/news/business/family-first-credit-union-parts-ways-with-ceo-after-lake-america-post/article_3e37d2bb-26dc-443d-be99-3bba7138f117.html","kind":"local_tv_news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read on 2026-09-28 from an Internet Archive capture (WJRT/ABC12, 23 September 2026); quotes the board chair's and COO's joint statement.","independence_group":"wjrt-interview-and-credit-union-statements"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/lake-america-sweatshirts-halifax-9.7356629","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (CBC News, 24 September 2026); body re-used on 2026-09-28. Quotes an emailed board statement to CBC.","independence_group":"wjrt-interview-and-credit-union-statements"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/lake-america-sweatshirts-halifax-9.7349406","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (CBC News, 18 September 2026); body re-used on 2026-09-28. Relays the ABC12 interview; reports the Halifax District RCMP response.","independence_group":"wjrt-interview-and-credit-union-statements"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.bankingdive.com/news/michigan-credit-union-ceo-leaves-after-blowback-lake-america-ai-facebook-post-family-first/831396/","kind":"trade_press","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (Banking Dive, 25 September 2026); body re-used on 2026-09-28. Relays the WJRT interview and the credit union's statements.","independence_group":"wjrt-interview-and-credit-union-statements"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["own_use"],"contexts":["work","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["Whether she resigned or was dismissed, and the board's reasons.","The nature and senders of the reported death threats, and whether any were reported to police.","How far the missing AI label, as opposed to the image's political message, drove the reaction.","Whether the relatives in the image suffered consequences beyond the curtailed trip."],"geography":{"basis":"The photo was taken and altered before boarding a flight to Halifax (WJRT; Banking Dive places it at Detroit airport); the public repost was made while the family was in Halifax, Nova Scotia (WJRT: 'We were in Halifax at the time'), where the backlash centred; the executive and the credit union are in Saginaw, Michigan. No court proceeding.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["US","CA"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an own-use depiction case: she used ChatGPT to produce a realistic image of herself and relatives in clothing they never wore; after it circulated without its AI label she reported death threats and her employment ended. The controversy concerned the image's political content, and the employer gives no reason, so causation is recorded as unclear. She is not named here although she is named in all coverage.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-28"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"She says she put a family photo through ChatGPT so that she and her relatives appeared to wear 'Lake America' sweatshirts they never wore (WJRT). The AI output depicted real people in clothing they did not wear. The backlash was directed at the image's political message; she chose that content, her sister removed the AI label when reposting, and the employer's decision and reasons are its own. The AI's role is generating the realistic image.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Saginaw, Michigan: a credit union CEO used ChatGPT to put herself and family members in 'Lake America' sweatshirts in a photo taken before a trip to Halifax; after her sister reposted it publicly without its AI label she says she received death threats and the family came home early, and on 23 September 2026 the credit union said she was no longer employed","summary":"The chief executive of Family First Credit Union in Saginaw, Michigan, told WJRT (ABC12) that before boarding a flight to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 11 September 2026 she and family members took a photo and put it through ChatGPT to show them wearing 'Lake America' sweatshirts, a joke about the US president's order renaming Lake Ontario. She posted it to her private Facebook page with a marker saying it contained AI content; her sister reposted it publicly without the marker while they were in Halifax, and it spread in Canada as if the family had worn the shirts. The backlash concerned the image's political message; she said she would understand the anger of anyone in Halifax who thought the family had walked in wearing those sweatshirts. She said she was getting death threats and the family returned early; by 16 September she was back in the US. She called the post poor judgment, said she would not use AI again and that AI 'can make people think something's real that's not'. On 23 September the credit union said she was no longer an employee, effective immediately; it has not said whether she resigned or was dismissed, or why.","incidentDate":"2026-09-11","incidentEndDate":"2026-09-23","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"single_interaction","reportedDate":"2026-09-16","aiSystem":"ChatGPT, used by the executive to alter a family photo so that the people in it appeared to wear 'Lake America' sweatshirts (her account to WJRT)","aiProduct":"ChatGPT","aiCompany":"OpenAI (ChatGPT, per the former CEO's account)","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["professional_harm","reputational_harm","psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"After the ChatGPT-altered photo circulated without its AI label, she says she received death threats and the family cut the trip short; her employer then announced she was no longer employed, without saying why or whether she resigned (her account to WJRT; board statements via WJRT and CBC).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"unclear","participantUsersAffectedMin":1,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"partial","affectedCountEvidence":"One person counted: the executive, who used ChatGPT, says she received death threats and lost her job (WJRT; credit union statements). CBC's 18 September report says the family returned early because 'they' were receiving threats, but no number of relatives harmed is stated, so they remain unquantified.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"US-MI","platformType":"assistant","outcomeType":"internal_action","outcomeStatus":"resolved","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.abc12.com/news/business/saginaw-ceo-in-viral-lake-america-post-voices-ai-concerns/article_b8cfeaa1-4122-4bcf-a5e9-14121e0dbe52.html","primarySourceLabel":"WJRT (ABC12), 17 September 2026: Saginaw CEO in viral 'Lake America' post voices AI concerns","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-28T03:31:28.046414+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:51.371966+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["chatgpt","ai-image","social-media","job-loss","backlash","death-threats","michigan","canada","own-use","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-oldenburg-school-email-accounts-ai-deepfakes-of-children-threats","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Der Polizei ist bekannt geworden, dass in den vergangenen Tagen über einen oder mehrere Schüleraccounts der E-Mail-Server Oldenburger Schulen zahlreiche Nachrichten versandt wurden.'; 'Die Nachrichten enthielten unter anderem sogenannte Deepfakes, also manipulierte Darstellungen von Kindern und Jugendlichen.'; 'Darüber hinaus enthielten die versandten Nachrichten zum Teil Gewaltandrohungen sowie Aufforderungen, sich selbst etwas anzutun.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Einige Bilder könnten nach erster Einschätzung der Ermittler/innen kinder- oder jugendpornografische Inhalte darstellen.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'Nach einer ersten Bewertung könnten einzelne dieser Darstellungen strafrechtlich relevant sein und den Straftatbestand der Verbreitung kinder- beziehungsweise jugendpornografischer Inhalte erfüllen.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"In the days before 22 September 2026, numerous messages were sent through one or more student accounts on the email servers of Oldenburg schools; they included deepfakes (manipulated depictions of children and young people), some of which the police, on a first assessment, consider could meet the offence of distributing child or youth sexual abuse material, and some contained threats of violence and calls to harm oneself.","causal_attribution":"Police statement (reviewer translation: 'The messages contained, among other things, so-called deepfakes, that is, manipulated depictions of children and young people'). Whether the material is criminal is under investigation."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Wie ein Polizeisprecher sagte, sollen einige der mit Künstlicher Intelligenz erstellten Bilder den Straftatbestand der Verbreitung kinder- oder jugendpornografischer Inhalte erfüllen.'; 'Schüler und Eltern hatten sich bei der Polizei gemeldet und die Vorfälle angezeigt.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"dpa, reporting a police spokesman's statements, describes the images as created with artificial intelligence; students and parents had contacted the police and reported the incidents.","causal_attribution":"dpa's report of a police spokesman (reviewer translation: 'Students and parents had contacted the police and reported the incidents')."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Ob und auf welche Weise sich bislang unbekannte Personen unberechtigt Zugang zu diesen Accounts verschafft haben, wird durch die Ermittler geprüft.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Die Ermittlungen zur Urheberschaft und zu den Hintergründen dauern an.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'Die Polizei arbeitet eng mit den betroffenen Schulen zusammen. Erste digitale Spuren wurden bereits gesichert und werden derzeit ausgewertet.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Police are investigating whether unknown persons gained unauthorised access to the student accounts, have secured first digital traces, and are working with the affected schools; authorship remains under investigation.","causal_attribution":"Police statement as published and relayed."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Über einen oder mehrere Schüleraccounts der Plattform IServ sind in den vergangenen Tagen Nachrichten an Oldenburger Schulen verschickt worden'; 'Das Unternehmen habe keinen Zugriff auf die Nachrichten oder Einsicht in die Schüleraccounts.'; 'Wir gehen aber davon aus, dass der Vorfall nur in Oldenburg stattgefunden hat.'; 'Nach aktuellem Stand sei nicht bekannt, dass Passwörter von Nutzern kompromittiert wurden'; 'keine Hinweise darauf, dass die von den Schulen betriebenen IServ-Instanzen selbst kompromittiert worden seien'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"The accounts were on the IServ school platform; an IServ spokesman said the company has no access to the messages or accounts and assumes the incident occurred only in Oldenburg; it said no compromise of user passwords was known and there was no indication that the school-operated IServ instances had been compromised.","causal_attribution":"RND's reporting of the platform and of the company spokesman's statement; RND attributes the account description to the Oldenburg police, but the inspected police release does not name IServ, so the platform identification rests on RND."}],"effects":[{"label":"deepfake images of children and young people, some possibly sexual abuse material, were distributed to students through school email accounts together with threats and calls to self-harm","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.presseportal.de/blaulicht/pm/68440/6356847","kind":"official_statement","access":"read","language":"de","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (police statement, 22 September 2026; German). Quotations are German originals; English renderings are reviewer translations, no human translator.","independence_group":"pi-oldenburg-stadt"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.zeit.de/news/2026-09/22/deepfake-bilder-an-oldenburger-schulen-verschickt","kind":"wire_report","access":"read","language":"de","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (dpa Niedersachsen via Zeit Online, 22 September 2026; German). Adds a police spokesman's statements; same police chain as s1. Reviewer translation.","independence_group":"pi-oldenburg-stadt"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.rnd.de/lokales/niedersachsen/braunschweig/pornografische-deepfakes-ueber-schueleraccounts-verschickt-braunschweiger-softwarefirma-aeussert-CCBUGZ3AXNAFNBSQO7RTFYIBLM.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"de","translation_note":"Live fetch returned 403; read on 2026-09-27 via Internet Archive capture (RND, 23 September 2026; German). Police facts relayed from the same police chain; the IServ spokesman's statement is RND's own reporting. Reviewer translation. Its lede repeats the dpa lede verbatim.","independence_group":"rnd-iserv-statement"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.oldenburger-onlinezeitung.de/blaulicht/deepfakes-manipulierte-bilder-schueleraccounts-237639.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"de","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (Oldenburger Onlinezeitung, 22 September 2026; German). Rewrite of the police statement. Reviewer translation.","independence_group":"pi-oldenburg-stadt"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["education","privacy"],"unknowns":["Who created the deepfakes and with which AI tool; whether the student accounts were compromised or used by their holders.","Whether the depicted children and young people are real, identifiable students at the schools, and how many were depicted.","How many schools (more than one per the police statement), messages and recipients were involved (police: 'zahlreiche Nachrichten').","Exact dates of sending ('in den vergangenen Tagen' before 22 September 2026).","Any effects on the depicted children or recipients beyond the reports to police, and any school measures."],"geography":{"basis":"The messages were sent through accounts on the email servers of Oldenburg schools and the Oldenburg-Stadt police are investigating (police statement). The depicted children's location is not stated, so affected_person_countries rests on the student recipients at Oldenburg schools. No court proceedings are reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["DE"],"affected_person_countries":["DE"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a core depicted_or_impersonated case: the police report AI-made deepfakes of children and young people, some possibly sexual abuse material, sent through school email accounts together with threats and self-harm calls, reported by students and parents. One police chain; RND adds the platform provider's statement. No child or school is identified.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-27"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The police statement calls the images deepfakes, 'manipulierte Darstellungen von Kindern und Jugendlichen'; dpa's report of a police spokesman's statements describes them as images created with artificial intelligence ('mit Künstlicher Intelligenz erstellten Bilder'); the written police statement does not mention AI. No tool is identified and no forensic finding is published.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Oldenburg, Germany: numerous messages sent through one or more student accounts on Oldenburg schools' email servers contained AI-manipulated deepfake images of children and young people, some of which police say may meet the offence of distributing child or youth sexual abuse material, alongside threats of violence and calls to self-harm; students and parents reported it and police are investigating (September 2026)","summary":"The Oldenburg-Stadt police inspectorate said on 22 September 2026 that in the preceding days numerous messages had been sent through one or more student accounts on the email servers of Oldenburg schools. The messages contained, among other things, deepfakes (manipulated depictions of children and young people); on an initial assessment some of these could constitute the offence of distributing child or youth sexual abuse material, and some messages contained threats of violence and calls for recipients to harm themselves. According to dpa, students and parents reported the incidents to the police, and dpa, reporting a police spokesman, describes the images as made with artificial intelligence (the written police statement calls them deepfakes, manipulated depictions, without naming AI). Investigators are examining whether unknown persons gained unauthorised access to the accounts; first digital traces were secured and the police are working with the affected schools. RND reports that the accounts were on the IServ school platform, whose provider said it had no access to the messages and believed the incident was limited to Oldenburg. The exact number of schools (the police refer to 'the affected schools', plural), messages, depicted children and recipients, and who created the images, are not reported.","incidentDate":"2026-09-01","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-09-22","aiSystem":"Unidentified AI image-manipulation tool used to produce deepfake images of children and young people; the tool and its operator are not reported. The messages were sent through student accounts on the IServ school platform (RND).","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"According to the Oldenburg police, AI-made deepfakes of children and young people, some possibly constituting child or youth sexual abuse material, were sent to students through school email accounts together with threats of violence and calls to self-harm; students and parents reported the incidents (police statement; dpa).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"unquantified","affectedCountEvidence":"The police speak of 'zahlreiche Nachrichten' (numerous messages) and depictions of children and young people but give no number of depicted children, recipients or schools; a count of messages is not a count of people. Unquantified with zero placeholders.","victimAgeRange":"minor","jurisdiction":"DE-NI","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.presseportal.de/blaulicht/pm/68440/6356847","primarySourceLabel":"Polizeiinspektion Oldenburg-Stadt (POL-OL) on Presseportal, 22 September 2026: Manipulierte Bilder über Schüleraccounts versandt - Polizei ermittelt","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-27T03:39:47.296658+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:47.498823+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","csam","school","minors","germany","niedersachsen","school-email","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-italy-siracusano-ai-altered-photo-vannacci-facebook-reggio-by-election","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Una foto ritoccata della sottosegretaria ai Rapporti con il Parlamento e deputata di Forza Italia, Matilde Siracusano, compare sulla pagina Facebook di Roberto Vannacci, leader di Futuro Nazionale.'; 'nella foto originale Siracusano indossa una maglietta bianca sotto la giacca floreale, che però è 'sparita''","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Nell’immagine, realizzata a partire da uno scatto originale del profilo Instagram della parlamentare'; 'La modifica consiste nella scomparsa della maglietta bianca indossata sotto la giacca floreale: al suo posto emerge una scollatura molto più accentuata.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'ha pubblicato una foto della compagna del governatore, la sottosegretaria Matilde Siracusano, con una profonda scollatura creata artificialmente'","relation":"context","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'Nella fotografia originale di Matilde Siracusano sotto la giacca c’è effettivamente una maglietta chiara.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"An altered photograph of Matilde Siracusano appeared on Roberto Vannacci's Facebook page in a by-election campaign post; in the original photograph she wears a white top under a floral jacket, and in the posted version the top had disappeared and a deeper neckline appeared in its place.","causal_attribution":"AGI and RaiNews each describe the public post and its difference from the original photograph, and the blog that first published the image concedes that the original shows a light T-shirt; ANSA's phrase 'profonda scollatura creata artificialmente' repeats Mara Carfagna's statement quoted by AGI and Adnkronos (reviewer translation: 'the white top worn under the floral jacket disappears: in its place a much more pronounced neckline emerges'). Who made the alteration is addressed in c2."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Quella che abbiamo pubblicato -afferma ancora il blog- non era una fotografia reale. Era un’immagine elaborata con l’intelligenza artificiale.'; 'Nell’immagine elaborata quella parte è stata invece ricostruita artificialmente dall’intelligenza artificiale'; 'risale addirittura a giovedì 24 settembre alle 12,33'; 'venerdì 25 settembre alle 8,27'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'pubblicando il link del blog Iacchitè, che aveva pubblicato l'immagine generata con l'IA'","relation":"context","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The blog Iacchite' says it published the image with an article on 24 September 2026, that the image was produced with artificial intelligence and was not a real photograph, that the AI reconstructed the neck and neckline area where the original photograph shows a light T-shirt, and that Vannacci reposted it on 25 September without citing the source.","causal_attribution":"The blog's own account relayed by Adnkronos (reviewer translation: 'What we published was not a real photograph. It was an image produced with artificial intelligence'). The blog does not name the tool or say who prompted it; it characterises the image as satirical and not pornographic."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Usare l'intelligenza artificiale per spogliare una donna, con la volontà evidente di denigrare una donna, è un problema gigantesco per tutti'; 'sta valutando l'ipotesi di \"presentare una denuncia'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'annunciando l’intenzione di presentare querela. «Si tratta di un reato e le donne vanno tutelate.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'per ora diciamo che si muoveranno i miei avvocati'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"'E si rivolgerà a un avvocato per una querela.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"Siracusano described the image as using AI to undress a woman in order to denigrate her, called it a crime, and said she intended to file, or was weighing, a criminal complaint (querela); she told la Repubblica that her lawyers would act.","causal_attribution":"Her own statements to several outlets (reviewer translation of Adnkronos: 'Using artificial intelligence to undress a woman, with the evident will to denigrate a woman, is a gigantic problem for everyone'). An announced complaint is recorded; no filing is reported."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'A chi mi accusa, senza alcuna concretezza, di aver modificato una foto con la IA, rispondo di cercare meglio e di rivolgere le accuse, eventualmente, a chi di dovere'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s8"},{"locator":"'rimandando al blog che ha pubblicato il post corredato con la foto manipolata della deputata di Forza Italia'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Vannacci replied on Facebook that those accusing him without any concreteness of having altered a photo with AI should look better and direct their accusations to whom they are due, linking to the blog that had published the image.","causal_attribution":"Vannacci's public reply as quoted by Corriere della Calabria and Adnkronos; he denies making the alteration and does not dispute that he posted the image."}],"effects":[{"label":"an AI-altered image removing the top under her jacket and generating a deeper neckline was published on a blog and reposted by a party leader on Facebook during an election campaign; she described it as a sexist attack to denigrate her and announced legal action","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.agi.it/politica/news/2026-09-26/vannacci-siracusano-39260391/","kind":"wire_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (AGI, 26 September 2026; Italian). Describes the Facebook post and the original photo. Quotations are Italian originals; English renderings in this record are reviewer translations, no human translator.","independence_group":"agi"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.rainews.it/articoli/2026/09/vannacci-rilancia-foto-scollata-della-sottosegretaria-ritoccata-con-lia-fi-insorge-3ec0ff68-f70e-4e3a-9928-23445143b36d.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (RaiNews, 26 September 2026; Italian). Describes the alteration, Siracusano's statement announcing a querela, and Vannacci's reply. Reviewer translation. Siracusano's quoted words ('una scelta perversa e squallida') match those ANSA attributes to her Corriere.it interview, so for c3 this likely relays the same interview as s7.","independence_group":"rainews"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.adnkronos.com/politica/matilde-siracusano-post-foto-ritoccata-ai-fake-oggi-bufera_3BWSuxpUZl4k99BHdYNcPW","kind":"wire_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (Adnkronos, 26 September 2026; Italian). Siracusano's direct comments to Adnkronos, Vannacci's Facebook reply and political reactions. Reviewer translation.","independence_group":"adnkronos"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.adnkronos.com/politica/siracusano-vannacci-foto-ia-blog-iacchite-oggi_5MZGVSAnIoHq3R7JG6ZG8c","kind":"wire_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (Adnkronos, 26 September 2026; Italian). Relays the blog Iacchite's own statement on how and when it published the AI image; the blog post itself was not read. Reviewer translation.","independence_group":"iacchite-blog-statement"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/politica/2026/09/26/bufera-per-la-foto-modificata-di-siracusano-rilanciata-da-vannacci_f4bf9e8a-edc2-49a5-b090-6cd8df138b96.html","kind":"wire_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (ANSA; Italian). Canonical URL of the article read (the Google News link resolved to an older slug with the same ID); headed 'Domani si vota alle suppletive a Reggio, tempesta su Vannacci per la foto fake di Matilde Siracusano'. Reviewer translation.","independence_group":"ansa"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://www.repubblica.it/politica/2026/09/26/news/matilde_siracusano_fi_vannacci_foto_nuda_ia_intervista-425609252/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read on 2026-09-27 (la Repubblica interview, 26 September 2026; Italian). Only the opening of the interview was available (JSON-LD article body); the remainder is paywalled and was not read. Reviewer translation.","independence_group":"repubblica"},{"id":"s7","url":"https://www.tempostretto.it/news/post-di-vannacci-con-foto-ritoccata-dallia-matilde-siracusano-querela-lex-generale.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (Tempo Stretto, Messina, 26 September 2026; Italian). Relays Siracusano's statement to Corriere della Sera (not read). Reviewer translation.","independence_group":"corriere-della-sera-interview"},{"id":"s8","url":"https://www.corrieredellacalabria.it/2026/09/26/foto-con-lia-vannacci-replica-cercate-meglio/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (Corriere della Calabria, 26 September 2026; Italian). Quotes Vannacci's Facebook reply. Reviewer translation. Its account of Vannacci's reply is word-for-word identical to the corresponding RaiNews paragraph (s2), so the two share one account for c4.","independence_group":"vannacci-facebook-reply"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["public_life","elections","privacy"],"unknowns":["Which AI tool produced the image and who operated it (the blog says the AI generated the altered area but does not name the tool or the person).","Whether the criminal complaint has been filed and under which offence; whether a prosecutor has opened an investigation.","Whether the post was removed from the blog or from Vannacci's Facebook page, and how widely it was shared.","The dates of the blog's publication (24 September) and Vannacci's repost (25 September) rest only on the blog's own statement relayed by Adnkronos; no other inspected source dates the Facebook post."],"geography":{"basis":"The image was published by a Calabrian blog and on the Facebook page of an Italian party leader in the campaign for the Reggio Calabria by-election (AGI, RaiNews, ANSA, Adnkronos); Siracusano is an Italian deputy and undersecretary. No filed complaint or court is reported, so court_countries is empty.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["IT"],"affected_person_countries":["IT"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a core depicted_or_impersonated case: several national outlets describe an AI-altered image of a named public figure that removed clothing and generated a deeper neckline, circulated in an election campaign; the blog that first published it says it was produced with AI. She announced legal action. The tool and operator are unknown.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-27"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The blog Iacchite', which says it first published the image, states it was 'elaborata con l'intelligenza artificiale' and that the AI reconstructed the neck and neckline area (via Adnkronos). RaiNews and Corriere della Calabria, in an identical passage, describe it as an image generated with AI; Adnkronos as a photo retouched by AI; AGI as a collage of other photos. Siracusano says it was altered with software and AI (RaiNews, Adnkronos). These outlet descriptions do not independently establish how the image was made. No tool is named and no forensic analysis is reported.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Italy: an AI-altered photograph of Undersecretary Matilde Siracusano, with the white top under her jacket removed and a deeper neckline generated in its place, was posted by Futuro Nazionale leader Roberto Vannacci on Facebook on the eve of the Reggio Calabria by-election; she called it a sexist attack and said she would take legal action (September 2026)","summary":"On the eve of the 27-28 September 2026 Chamber by-election in the Reggio Calabria constituency, Roberto Vannacci, leader of Futuro Nazionale, posted on Facebook a campaign image showing Matilde Siracusano, Undersecretary for Relations with Parliament and a Forza Italia deputy, seated at a table beside the centre-right candidate Fabio Roscioli and Senator Claudio Lotito. According to AGI and RaiNews, the white top Siracusano wears under her floral jacket in the original photograph (taken from her Instagram profile, per RaiNews) had disappeared and a much deeper neckline appeared in its place. The Calabrian blog Iacchite', to which Vannacci pointed, said it had published the image on 24 September, that it was not a real photograph but an image produced with artificial intelligence, and that the AI had reconstructed the neck and neckline area; Vannacci reposted it on 25 September without citing the source, according to the blog. Siracusano told Adnkronos that using AI to undress a woman in order to denigrate her was 'squalid'; RaiNews reports her calling it a crime and announcing her intention to file a criminal complaint (querela), while Adnkronos and ANSA say she was weighing one; she told la Repubblica that her lawyers would act. Vannacci replied that his accusers should 'look better' for whom to blame. Ministers and politicians across parties, including Forza Italia leader Antonio Tajani, condemned the post. No complaint filing, investigation or removal of the post is reported in the inspected sources.","incidentDate":"2026-09-24","incidentEndDate":"2026-09-25","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"single_interaction","reportedDate":"2026-09-26","aiSystem":"An unidentified generative-AI image tool that, according to the blog Iacchite', produced the composite image and regenerated the neck and neckline area of Siracusano's photograph; the tool is not named","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["reputational_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Siracusano says an AI-altered image that 'undressed' her was used for electoral propaganda to denigrate her; she called it sexist and squalid and announced legal action (her statements to Adnkronos, RaiNews, la Repubblica). The image circulated on a blog and on Vannacci's Facebook page and became a national controversy (AGI, ANSA).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, Matilde Siracusano, depicted in the altered image (AGI, RaiNews, Adnkronos). Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"IT","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"media_coverage","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.agi.it/politica/news/2026-09-26/vannacci-siracusano-39260391/","primarySourceLabel":"AGI, 26 September 2026: Vannacci 'amplia' la scollatura di Matilde Siracusano sui social ed è subito bufera","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-27T03:39:45.926413+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:40.986462+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","image-manipulation","politics","election","italy","calabria","sexualised-imagery","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-bengaluru-mahalakshmi-layout-deepfake-leaders-forex-investment-scam","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Sudha Murty and Anant Ambani to be genuine, a city resident fell victim to an investment scam and lost Rs 7.66 lakh.'; 'came across the videos on Facebook on July 10. The videos purportedly showed Modi and others promoting online investments.'; 'Between July 10 and July 22, he transferred Rs 7.6 lakh to the bank accounts the suspects shared in multiple transactions.'; 'The victim clicked on a link given in the videos and wired Rs 22,000 to start his investment journey.'; 'The callers identified themselves as representatives of ‘One Two Markets’ company and told him that he could earn more if he got into forex trading.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'A 39-year-old Bengaluru resident allegedly lost ₹7.66 lakh after falling victim to an investment scam promoted through deepfake videos featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Sudha Murty and Anant Ambani.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"According to his FIR, a 39-year-old Mahalakshmi Layout resident saw Facebook videos on 10 July 2026 purportedly showing Narendra Modi and others promoting online investments, believed the deepfake videos to be genuine, clicked a link and, between 10 and 22 July, transferred about Rs 7.6 lakh (Rs 7.66 lakh in total) to accounts supplied by callers from a purported forex company.","causal_attribution":"The complainant's FIR as reported by Deccan Herald and repeated by Mangalore Today; the deepfake characterisation is the reports', without technical confirmation."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'the victim reached out to the police and an FIR was registered on September 19. A probe is ongoing.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'An FIR was registered on September 19, and an investigation is underway.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"An FIR was registered on 19 September 2026 and a probe is ongoing.","causal_attribution":"Deccan Herald and Mangalore Today (one reporting chain)."}],"effects":[{"label":"a Bengaluru man lost Rs 7.66 lakh to a forex scheme he joined after deepfake videos of public figures appeared to endorse it","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/bengaluru-man-falls-for-pm-modi-anant-ambani-deepfakes-loses-over-rs-7-lakh-4160183","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (Deccan Herald, DHNS, 25 September 2026; English). The visible page is truncated; the full article was read from its JSON-LD articleBody, which also embeds a related-article headline (a different Sitharaman-deepfake case) that is not used.","independence_group":"bengaluru-fir-deccanherald"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.mangaloretoday.com/headlines/Bengaluru-man-loses-Rs-7-66-lakh-after-falling-for-Modi-Anant-Ambani-deepfake-investment-videos.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 via the site's print view of the same article (Mangalore Today, 26 September 2026; English). Repeats the Deccan Herald FIR account; treated as derivative.","independence_group":"bengaluru-fir-deccanherald"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["Which police station registered the FIR and under which sections.","Whether the videos were examined and what tool made them; the deepfake label is the reports'.","Who operated the scheme and where; the +44 numbers do not establish location.","Whether any money has been traced or frozen."],"geography":{"basis":"The complainant lives in Mahalakshmi Layout, Bengaluru, and the FIR was registered in Bengaluru (Deccan Herald). The callers used +44 numbers, which does not establish where they were. No court proceeding is reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["IN"],"affected_person_countries":["IN"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an everyday financial adverse experience: an unnamed complainant lost Rs 7.66 lakh after deepfake videos of public figures lured him into a forex scheme, reported by Deccan Herald and repeated by Mangalore Today (one chain; claims reported).","reviewed_on":"2026-09-27"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Deccan Herald's own lede calls the Facebook videos deepfakes of Narendra Modi, Nirmala Sitharaman, Sudha Murty and Anant Ambani. The FIR account it reports says only that the videos 'purportedly showed Modi and others promoting online investments'. No technical examination is reported. The relation is recorded as unknown: the AI videos impersonated third parties (public figures) to lure the complainant and did not depict, address or act for him in any way the reports establish; his dealings after clicking the link were with human callers.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["unknown"]},"name":"Bengaluru (Karnataka): a 39-year-old man reports losing Rs 7.66 lakh to a forex 'investment' scheme after deepfake Facebook videos of Narendra Modi, Nirmala Sitharaman, Sudha Murty and Anant Ambani appeared to promote it (July 2026; FIR 19 September 2026)","summary":"According to an FIR reported by Deccan Herald, a 39-year-old resident of Mahalakshmi Layout, Bengaluru, saw videos on Facebook on 10 July 2026 that appeared to show Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Sudha Murty and Anant Ambani promoting online investments. Believing them genuine, he clicked a link, paid Rs 22,000, and was then called from UK (+44) numbers by people claiming to represent a company called 'One Two Markets', who opened a forex account in his name. Between 10 and 22 July he transferred about Rs 7.6 lakh in several payments; when he tried to withdraw, the callers demanded more money. He went to the police and an FIR was registered on 19 September; a probe is under way. Deccan Herald calls the videos deepfakes; no technical examination of them is reported.","incidentDate":"2026-07-10","incidentEndDate":"2026-07-22","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-25","aiSystem":"Deepfake videos (tool unidentified) depicting public figures promoting an investment scheme on Facebook","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A Bengaluru man lost Rs 7.66 lakh to a forex investment scam he entered after deepfake Facebook videos of national leaders and business figures appeared to promote it (his FIR, as reported by Deccan Herald and Mangalore Today).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, the 39-year-old complainant (Deccan Herald; Mangalore Today).","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"IN-KA","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/bengaluru-man-falls-for-pm-modi-anant-ambani-deepfakes-loses-over-rs-7-lakh-4160183","primarySourceLabel":"Deccan Herald (DHNS), 25 September 2026: Bengaluru man falls for PM Modi, Anant Ambani deepfakes, loses over Rs 7 lakh","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-27T03:39:41.752411+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:27.815383+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","investment-scam","forex","facebook","celebrity-impersonation","financial-fraud","india","karnataka","bengaluru"]},{"id":"2026-delhi-jantar-mantar-protest-ai-morphed-image-woman-fir-high-court-takedown","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'the FIR at cyber police station in New Delhi district has been registered against unknown persons under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act'; 'the 25-year-old content creator'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'The FIR was lodged at the Cyber police station, New Delhi, on Thursday under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).'; 'The FIR, however, lists the accused as unidentified'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'The FIR was registered at the Cyber Police Station on September 24 under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the BNS.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"On 24 September 2026 the Delhi Police registered an FIR against unknown persons at the Cyber Police Station, New Delhi district, under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, on the complaint of a 25-year-old content creator who alleged her photograph had been morphed with AI and displayed alongside the Prime Minister's image at a CJP protest at Jantar Mantar.","causal_attribution":"Police statements to the Hindustan Times, PTI and The Tribune; the FIR text as quoted by the Hindustan Times."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Using digital manipulation and Al face-swapping tools, they morphed my face directly onto an image alongside the Hon'ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, fabricating a completely false, compromising, and sensationalized picture'; 'publicly displayed, waved, and paraded these banners before huge crowds at Jantar Mantar, raising derogatory slogans and making vulgar, sexually suggestive comments against me'; 'absolute distress, fear, and trauma'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'They further sank to absolute depravity by uploading and distributing the petitioner's morphed non-consensual explicit photos onto various pornographic websites,'; 'she has been bombarded with explicit messages containing explicit threats of rape, gang-rape, acid attacks, and physical elimination from anonymous accounts'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"'she has since received a barrage of messages threatening rape, gang rape, acid attacks and death, forcing her to remain confined to her home'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'the alleged incident took place in July during a CJP protest, following which the petitioner approached the police on September 23 after facing severe online harassment and threats of sexual assault'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"The complainant alleges that protest organisers and demonstrators took her personal photograph without consent, used AI face-swapping tools to morph her face onto a vulgar image alongside the Prime Minister, printed it on banners paraded before crowds with sexually suggestive slogans, recorded and circulated videos on Instagram, and (per her petition) uploaded the images to pornographic websites, after which she received threats of rape, acid attack and death and stayed confined at home; she describes absolute distress, fear and trauma. The petition dates the protest to July 2026 and says she approached the police on 23 September 2026.","causal_attribution":"The complainant's own allegations in her FIR and petition, as quoted by the press; under police investigation; the CJP had not commented."},{"id":"c3","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'The court also issued notice to Meta Platforms and directed the platform to immediately remove within 24 hours the access to the \"objectionable content\"'; 'IO shall also transmit a copy of this order to the said SHO who is directed to'; 'The court directed the police to file a status report within one week detailing the exact action taken. The court also directed the Registry to redact all the impugned web links from the petition and the annexures.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'The status report be filed by R1 (Delhi Police) within a week, detailing the exact action taken.'; 'The Court also directed Meta to immediately remove the objectionable content in question from the social media platforms managed by it and issued notice to the CJP activists.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'The court listed the matter for further hearing on October 14'; 'The court registry was also directed to redact the woman's name and web links from the petition and its annexures.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s8"},{"locator":"'posted the matter for further hearing on October 14'; 'the petitioner would have the right to claim compensation from the organisers of the demonstration'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"On 25 September 2026 Justice Girish Kathpalia of the Delhi High Court directed Meta Platforms to remove the objectionable content within 24 hours, directed the Delhi Police to give the petitioner complete protection and file a status report within a week, issued notice to the four CJP functionaries named in the plea and to Meta, ordered the registry to redact the impugned web links from the petition (PTI reports her name as well), observed that she retains a right to claim compensation from the demonstration's organisers, and (per PTI and Ommcom News) listed the matter for 14 October 2026.","causal_attribution":"Court order as reported by LiveLaw, Bar and Bench, PTI and Ommcom News; the order document itself was not inspected."},{"id":"c4","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Learned ASC on behalf of Delhi Police accepts notice and submits that since FIR was registered yesterday itself, the action shall be taken expeditiously as possible,'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'Learned Additional Standing Counsel for Delhi Police accepts notice and submits that since the FIR was registered yesterday itself, the action shall be taken as expeditiously as possible.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'Delhi Police accepts notice and submits that since FIR was registered yesterday itself, the action shall be taken as expeditiously as possible,'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"At the hearing the Delhi Police told the court that the FIR had been registered the previous day and that action would be taken expeditiously.","causal_attribution":"Police submission recorded in the order, as quoted by LiveLaw, Bar and Bench and Ommcom News."},{"id":"c5","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'The FIR, however, lists the accused as unidentified and police have not, at this stage, named anyone as an accused in the case.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'the FIR at cyber police station in New Delhi district has been registered against unknown persons'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'It said that even after the registration of the FIR, neither have the prime accused been arrested nor have notices been issued to Meta to take down the deepfakes.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"The FIR lists the accused as unidentified; the police had not named anyone as an accused at the time of the 24 September reports, and the petition says no arrests had been made by 25 September.","causal_attribution":"PTI's and the Hindustan Times' police accounts (24 September) for the FIR; the petition's own statement (HT, 25 September) for the absence of arrests."}],"effects":[{"label":"an AI-morphed vulgar image of the complainant was paraded on banners at a protest, circulated online and, she says, uploaded to pornographic websites, followed by threats that confined her to her home; she reports distress, fear and trauma","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"},{"label":"the High Court found the matter urgent enough to order a 24-hour takedown and police protection while the FIR is investigated","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/cockroach-janta-party-cjp-abhijeet-dipke-fir-video-morphed-woman-pm-narendra-modi-jantar-mantar-delhi-101790314490495.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-26 (Hindustan Times, 24 September 2026; html lang=en). Quotes the FIR 'accessed by HT' and an anonymous police officer; gives the complainant's age, occupation and locality.","independence_group":"hindustantimes"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Sep/24/case-lodged-after-woman-alleges-her-morphed-photo-used-at-cjps-jantar-mantar-protest","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-26 (The New Indian Express, 24 September 2026, PTI copy; html lang=en). Police account of the complaint and the FIR; names the complainant, which is not carried here.","independence_group":"pti"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/delhi/delhi-ai-morphed-photo-used-at-jantar-mantar-protest-alleges-woman/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-26 (The Tribune, 24 September 2026). Short item: FIR against unidentified individuals registered on 24 September under the IT Act 2000 and the BNS. Bylined Tribune News Service but its text tracks the PTI copy; treated as a separate outlet with that doubt recorded (the FIR claim rests on HT and PTI in any case).","independence_group":"tribune"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.livelaw.in/high-court/delhi-high-court/delhi-high-court-police-protection-cjp-leaders-pm-modi-morphed-image-551821","kind":"legal_press","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-26 (LiveLaw, 25 September 2026). Court reporting with dictated passages of Justice Kathpalia's order and the oral exchanges.","independence_group":"livelaw"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.barandbench.com/news/matter-not-of-one-lady-but-about-pm-delhi-hc-orders-takedown-of-explicit-ai-photo-of-woman-with-pm-modi-during-cjp-protest","kind":"legal_press","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-26 via the AMP path (Bar and Bench, 25 September 2026). Court reporting: Division Bench listing, the order's operative parts, counsel's submissions and the petition's allegations.","independence_group":"barandbench"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://ommcomnews.com/india-news/delhi-hc-directs-meta-to-remove-deepfake-image-of-woman-with-pm-modi-issues-notice-to-cjp-activists/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-26 (Ommcom News, 25 September 2026). Carries the order's protection paragraph, the 14 October date, the petition's statement that the incident took place in July and that she approached the police on 23 September.","independence_group":"ians-ommcom"},{"id":"s7","url":"https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/cjp-protest-hc-orders-to-take-down-morphed-image-of-woman-modi-seeks-police-report-101790367900000.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-26 (Hindustan Times, 25 September 2026). Own report of the order and the petition's allegations, including the pornographic-website and threat allegations.","independence_group":"hindustantimes"},{"id":"s8","url":"https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Sep/25/delhi-hc-orders-meta-to-remove-morphed-pm-modi-image-issues-notice-to-four-cjp-leaders","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-26 (The New Indian Express, 25 September 2026, 'according to PTI'). Order summary: Meta 24-hour removal, notice to four CJP leaders, status report in a week, 14 October listing, registry redaction of the woman's name.","independence_group":"pti"},{"id":"s9","url":"https://www.aajtak.in/india/news/story/delhi-high-court-cjp-activists-pm-deepfake-image-saurav-das-abhijeet-dipke-ashutosh-ranka-ratna-singh-fir-ntc-agkp-rpti-2652691-2026-09-25","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"hi","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-26 via the AMP path (AajTak, 25 September 2026; Hindi; own byline). Reports the High Court's agreement to hear the petition the same day, the petition's AI-technology allegation and its July date; its headline describes the FIR as against three named activists and gives an FIR number, which conflicts with the 'unknown persons' FIR reported by HT and PTI and is not carried. Translation by the reviewer; no human translator.","independence_group":"aajtak"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["privacy","justice","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["Who created, printed and displayed the morphed image; the FIR names no accused and the four functionaries named in the complaint and plea have not responded publicly in the reports read.","The exact date of the protest at which the banners were displayed: the petition says July 2026 (Ommcom News) while the Hindustan Times refers to 'recent' CJP protests.","Whether Meta complied with the 24-hour takedown and whether the pornographic-website uploads have been removed.","The tool used; no forensic finding on the image's creation is reported.","The content of the police status report due within a week and any arrests; next hearing 14 October 2026."],"geography":{"basis":"The banners were displayed at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi (FIR quoted by the Hindustan Times; PTI); the complainant is described as a Delhi resident (Hindustan Times; her exact locality is withheld here because the court directed that her address not be furnished); the FIR is at the New Delhi cyber police station and the order is from the Delhi High Court (LiveLaw, Bar and Bench).","court_countries":["IN"],"event_countries":["IN"],"affected_person_countries":["IN"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a depicted-person case with an FIR and a High Court takedown and protection order: the complainant's allegations are recorded as reported and attributed to her FIR and petition; the FIR and the order are corroborated across independent police reporting (Hindustan Times, PTI, The Tribune) and independent court reporting (LiveLaw, Bar and Bench, PTI, Ommcom). The complainant and the respondents are not named.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-26"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The complainant's FIR and petition say her face was morphed onto the image with 'AI face-swapping tools' (FIR quoted by the Hindustan Times; petition quoted by LiveLaw and PTI); the police said they are probing the creation of the 'morphed' image and the court called it deepfake content. No forensic finding on how the image was made is reported.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Delhi: a 25-year-old content creator says her photograph was morphed with AI face-swapping tools onto a vulgar image beside the Prime Minister, printed on banners paraded at a Cockroach Janta Party protest at Jantar Mantar and circulated online; FIR registered 24 September 2026, Delhi High Court orders Meta takedown within 24 hours and police protection on 25 September","summary":"A 25-year-old content creator from Delhi complained to the police that organisers and demonstrators at a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar had taken her personal photograph without consent, used AI face-swapping tools to morph her face onto a vulgar, compromising image alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi, printed the image on banners waved before crowds with sexually suggestive slogans, and circulated videos of the banners on Instagram and other platforms; her later High Court petition adds that the images were uploaded to pornographic websites and that she has received rape, acid-attack and death threats. The Delhi Police registered an FIR against unknown persons at the New Delhi cyber police station on 24 September 2026 under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. On 25 September Justice Girish Kathpalia of the Delhi High Court directed Meta Platforms to remove the objectionable content within 24 hours, ordered the Delhi Police to give the petitioner complete protection and file a status report within a week, issued notice to the four CJP functionaries named in her plea, ordered the registry to redact the impugned web links from the petition (and, per PTI, her name), and listed the matter for 14 October 2026 (PTI, Ommcom News). The police told the court the FIR had been registered the previous day and that action would be taken expeditiously; no accused had been named or arrested at that stage. The petition says the protest took place in July 2026 and that she approached the police on 23 September; the CJP had not commented at the time of the first report.","incidentDate":"2026-07-01","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-24","aiSystem":"AI face-swapping tools (unidentified) used, according to the complaint and petition, to morph the complainant's face onto a vulgar image; described as an AI-generated deepfake in court and press reporting","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse","psychological_distress","reputational_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"The complainant reports that an AI-morphed vulgar image of her was paraded on banners before crowds with sexually suggestive slogans, circulated on Instagram and pornographic websites, and followed by threats of rape, acid attack and death that confined her to her home; she describes absolute distress, fear and trauma (her FIR as quoted by the Hindustan Times; her petition as reported by LiveLaw, Bar and Bench and PTI). The High Court found sufficient urgency to order a takedown and police protection; the allegations remain under investigation.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One depicted person, the complainant/petitioner (FIR quoted by the Hindustan Times; petition reported by LiveLaw and PTI). Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"IN","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.livelaw.in/high-court/delhi-high-court/delhi-high-court-police-protection-cjp-leaders-pm-modi-morphed-image-551821","primarySourceLabel":"LiveLaw, 25 September 2026: Delhi High Court directs police to protect woman alleging CJP leaders circulated deepfake image with PM Modi, Meta to remove content","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-26T04:07:05.856556+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:34.890194+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","face-swap","non-consensual-imagery","protest","india","delhi","high-court","takedown-order","police-protection","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-stanford-rde-ai-altered-promotional-photo-student-replaced","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Stanford Residential & Dining Enterprises recently used AI to change the races of the students it included in its advertisements. AI was also used to noticeably slim down and alter students’ faces.'; 'he noticed that he had been removed from the photo and replaced by a AI-generated black woman.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Stanford confirmed that Residential and Dining Enterprises (R&DE) used generative AI to modify the appearance of several students in a promotional image. R&DE changed the students’ clothing into Stanford merchandise, slimmed down two students’ faces and entirely changed one student’s race, gender and appearance.'; 'The Daily confirmed that the photo was used in a custom banner in the Governor’s Corner student housing center, which has since been taken down.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Stanford University said the use of artificial intelligence to alter the race and appearance of students in a promotional photo violated its policy'; 'We have apologized to the students in the photo whose images were altered or erased,'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"Stanford Residential & Dining Enterprises used generative AI to alter a promotional photograph of three students, replacing one male student with an AI-generated Black woman and making the two other students' faces appear slimmer, and the altered image was displayed on campus banners.","causal_attribution":"The Review's comparison of the original and altered images (one group) and the university's own statements confirming the AI alteration (second group); the itemised details are in c4."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Stanford’s AI policy is clear: The use of AI in producing or altering images of Stanford people, events, research, facilities, or achievements is strictly prohibited,'; 'Both the alteration and lack of disclosure in this case violate that policy. We are working to provide additional training for all staff and ensure proper review of all materials.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Following the incident, the university removed the image and announced plans to provide additional staff training to prevent future violations.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'Not only the fact that the image was altered, but the ways in which it was altered, reflect a serious error in judgment. We have apologized to the students in the photo whose images were altered or erased,'; 'The university said it has launched an investigation to determine what happened and'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"The university said the alteration and its non-disclosure violated its policy prohibiting AI use in producing or altering images of Stanford people, removed the image, promised staff training and review of materials, called the alteration a serious error in judgment, apologised to the students and opened an investigation.","causal_attribution":"University statements to The Stanford Daily, NBC Bay Area and NBC News."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'At first, I found it hilarious that they had used AI to completely change our appearances, including my race and gender. But after looking at the comparison, I was also upset'; 'Seeing my identity changed and being left out of the picture made me feel, in a way, silenced and erased from a representation that was supposed to include me.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'He described the incident as “funny,” but also noted that he was exhausted by the current level of media attention he had received from outlets across the country.'; 'I’m so tired, I want it to stop,'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'To see me erased like that so easily was kind of very upsetting,'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"The replaced student said he first found the edit funny but was upset that the university changed his identity and left him out, describing feeling silenced and erased, and said he was exhausted by the national media attention and wanted it to stop.","causal_attribution":"The student's statements to the Review, the Daily and (via NBC News) The New York Times."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Stanford University removed a promotional photo that had been digitally altered to replace a male Hispanic student with an AI-generated Black female student without disclosure, violating university policy.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'R&DE changed the students’ clothing into Stanford merchandise, slimmed down two students’ faces and entirely changed one student’s race, gender and appearance.'; 'The Daily confirmed that the photo was used in a custom banner in the Governor’s Corner student housing center, which has since been taken down.'; 'Both the alteration and lack of disclosure in this case violate that policy.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The replaced student is Hispanic; the altered image changed the students' clothing into Stanford merchandise and was displayed without disclosure, including on a custom banner in the Governor's Corner student housing centre, since taken down.","causal_attribution":"NBC Bay Area's report and the Daily's own description and banner check; single chain for each detail."}],"effects":[{"label":"three students' images in a university promotional photograph were altered with AI without disclosure, one replaced by a generated person of another race and gender, leaving him feeling silenced and erased and exposed to national attention","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://stanfordreview.org/stanford-r-de-uses-ai-to-race-swap-students-for-advertising/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-25 (The Stanford Review, 21 September 2026; html lang=en). First report; publishes the pre- and post-AI images and the replaced student's statement.","independence_group":"stanford-review-reporting"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://stanforddaily.com/2026/09/23/university-confirms-ai-edited-photo/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en-US","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-25 (The Stanford Daily, published 23 September 2026, updated 24 September; html lang=en-US). University public-relations director's confirmation and the student's further statements.","independence_group":"stanford-university-statements"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/stanford-ai-photo-policy-violation/4147081/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en-US","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-25 (NBC Bay Area, 22 September 2026; html lang=en-US). Short report of the removal and planned training.","independence_group":"stanford-university-statements"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/stanford-apologizes-saying-ai-altered-pic-changed-students-gender-race-rcna599691","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-25 (NBC News, 24 September 2026; html lang=en). University apology and investigation; relays the Review's reporting and a New York Times quotation.","independence_group":"stanford-university-statements"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["institutional_use"],"contexts":["education","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["Which AI tool was used and who in the department made and approved the alteration.","When the altered banner was produced and displayed; according to the replaced student the original photograph was taken at a 2024 Lunar New Year dinner, and the banner came to attention in September 2026.","What the two slimmed students have said; their accounts (reported by the Daily as having spoken out) were not inspected.","The outcome of the university's investigation."],"geography":{"basis":"The photograph was taken in a Stanford dining hall and the altered banner displayed at the Governor's Corner student housing centre on the Stanford campus, California (The Stanford Daily, NBC News); the three are Stanford students. No court proceeding.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an institutional-use case in which an AI system altered how identifiable people were depicted: a university department replaced one student and reshaped two others in advertising without disclosure, confirmed by the university (which apologised and opened an investigation) and first reported by the student newspaper with the original and altered images; the replaced student's distress is his own account. Low severity: no financial or physical harm is reported. No student is named here.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-25"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Stanford confirmed to The Stanford Daily that Residential and Dining Enterprises used generative AI to modify the students' appearance in the image, and said in a statement reported by NBC News that the use of AI to alter the students' race and appearance violated its policy; The Stanford Review published the original and altered images. The tool is not identified.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Stanford University: the Residential & Dining Enterprises department used generative AI to alter a promotional photograph of three students, replacing a Hispanic male student with an AI-generated Black woman, slimming two students' faces and changing their clothing, on campus banners; the university said the undisclosed alteration violated its AI policy, apologised and opened an investigation (Stanford Review, Stanford Daily, NBC Bay Area, NBC News, 21-24 September 2026)","summary":"The Stanford Review reported on 21 September 2026 that Stanford's Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE) had used AI to change the appearance of students in its advertising: a student was sent images comparing a banner with the original photograph, which he recalled a Stanford photographer taking, and found he had been removed and replaced by an AI-generated Black woman, while the two students beside him were made to appear visibly thinner. Stanford confirmed to The Stanford Daily on 23 September that R&DE used generative AI to modify the appearance of several students in the image; the Daily reported that the students' clothing was changed into Stanford merchandise, two students' faces were slimmed and one student's race, gender and appearance were entirely changed, and the university said the alteration and its non-disclosure violated its policy prohibiting AI in producing or altering images of Stanford people; the banner at the Governor's Corner housing centre was taken down and staff training promised. On 24 September NBC News reported the university's statement that the alteration was 'a serious error in judgment', that it had apologised to the students whose images were altered or erased, and that it had opened an investigation. The replaced student, who first found the edit funny, said that seeing his identity changed and being left out made him feel 'silenced and erased from a representation that was supposed to include me', that it was upsetting, and that he was exhausted by the national media attention. According to the student, the original photograph was taken at a 2024 Lunar New Year dinner in a campus dining hall and had been used unaltered in earlier promotional material.","incidentDate":"2026-09-01","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-21","aiSystem":"Generative AI image-editing tool used by Stanford Residential & Dining Enterprises to alter a promotional photograph (tool not identified)","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["psychological_distress","other_material_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A student's image was removed from an institutional photograph and replaced with an AI-generated person of a different race and gender, and two other students' faces were slimmed and their clothing changed, all without disclosure, on campus advertising; the replaced student describes feeling silenced and erased and being exhausted by the resulting national attention, and the university says it has apologised to the students in the photograph whose images were altered or erased (The Stanford Review, The Stanford Daily, NBC News). No financial or physical harm is reported.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"established","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":3,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"Three students appear in the photograph (NBC News: an image of three students); one was replaced and two were slimmed and re-clothed (The Stanford Daily), and the university apologised to 'the students in the photo whose images were altered or erased' (NBC News). The replaced student describes distress; the two others' own accounts were not inspected (the Daily says they have spoken out). Exact 3 people whose images were altered without disclosure.","victimAgeRange":"unknown","jurisdiction":"US","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"internal_action","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://stanfordreview.org/stanford-r-de-uses-ai-to-race-swap-students-for-advertising/","primarySourceLabel":"The Stanford Review, 21 September 2026: Stanford R&DE Uses AI to Race Swap Students for Advertising","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-25T03:58:44.421252+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:54.864519+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["ai-image-editing","institutional-use","university","representation","stanford","california","united-states","depicted-or-impersonated","policy-violation"]},{"id":"2026-jakarta-timur-smp-student-ai-edited-classmates-photos-stickers","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Beberapa siswi di sebuah SMP negeri di Jakarta Timur dilecehkan dalam bentuk penyalahgunaan foto yang diedit menggunakan artificial intelligence (AI).'; 'Foto tersebut kemudian juga dijadikan sticker WhatsApp oleh pelaku.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Polres Metro Jakarta Timur mengusut kasus dugaan pelecehan seksual seorang siswa di salah satu SMP Negeri di Jakarta Timur lewat penyalahgunaan foto yang disunting oleh kecerdasan buatan'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'Seorang siswa kelas 9 di salah satu SMP Negeri di Pulogadung, Jakarta Timur (Jaktim) mengedit foto rekan-rekan menggunakan artificial intelligence (AI) hingga bermuatan vulgar.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"'Tak hanya diedit, foto tersebut juga disebut sempat diedarkan dalam bentuk stiker.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"The East Jakarta police spokesperson confirmed on 23 September 2026 that a student at a state junior high school in East Jakarta had edited photographs of several female schoolmates with AI so that they appeared indecent and that the images were made into WhatsApp stickers; detik and VIVA (24 September) describe him as a grade-9 student at a state junior high school in Pulogadung; the police women-and-children protection unit is investigating.","causal_attribution":"Police spokesperson's confirmation, relayed by all outlets (one chain); the tool and method are not identified."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Foto-foto tersebut diperjualbelikan hingga sekitar 200 lembar.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Unggahan tersebut juga menyebutkan pelaku diduga memperjualbelikan foto-foto yang telah diedit kepada pihak lain dengan jumlah mencapai sekitar 200 foto.'; 'Polisi saat ini masih mendalami rangkaian kejadian tersebut mulai dari kronologi lengkap, termasuk mekanisme penyuntingan foto, pihak yang menerima atau menyebarkan hasil suntingan foto dan jumlah korban.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'informasi mengenai dugaan jual beli foto tersebut masih berasal dari unggahan yang beredar di media sosial.'; 'Jumlah foto yang diduga telah diedit juga mencapai sekitar 200 foto berdasarkan informasi yang beredar di media sosial.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'Jumlahnya disebut mencapai ratusan foto.'; 'Polisi masih menelusuri informasi mengenai dugaan pengeditan tersebut, termasuk narasi yang menyebut foto hasil manipulasi itu sempat dijual.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"A Threads post that brought the case to attention said about 200 edited photographs had been produced and sold to others; Kompas.com noted on 24 September that the sale allegation still rested only on that post, VIVA reported that police were still checking the sale claim, and ANTARA reported on 23 September that police were still establishing the editing method, the recipients and the number of depicted students.","causal_attribution":"Social-media post attributed by the outlets; police treat the figure and the sale as unverified."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Iya betul (informasi tersebut), namun saat ini belum ada laporan dari para korban'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"'kepolisian masih memastikan apakah para siswi yang diduga menjadi korban pengeditan foto tersebut telah membuat laporan atau belum.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'Polisi belum membeberkan identitas rinci siswa maupun para korban karena masih dalam tahap pengumpulan keterangan saksi.'","relation":"context","source_id":"s8"}],"assertion":"As of 24 September 2026 the depicted students had not filed a police report; police appealed to them to report and said they were checking whether any report had been made.","causal_attribution":"Police spokesperson's statements."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Berdasarkan keterangan orang tua korban, dugaan penganiayaan terjadi pada Selasa (15/9) hingga Rabu (16/9) 2026 sekitar pukul 11.00 WIB atau setelah korban pulang sekolah.'; 'Setelah di rumah kosong korban dipukul bagian hidung, telinga, kepala, dan dada korban ditendang oleh beberapa pelaku (lidik).'; 'Kemudian setiba di waduk korban dipukul bagian kepala, digampar di bagian telinga kanan dan kiri, kemudian bagian perut korban beberapa kali ditendang'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'Berdasarkan keterangan polisi, sejumlah siswi yang mengetahui hal tersebut kemudian tidak terima dan memukuli siswa yang diduga mengedit foto tersebut.'","relation":"context","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Laporan itu dibuat oleh pelaku yang mengedit foto-foto itu.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'pihak sekolah juga telah melakukan mediasi dengan orangtua siswa.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"According to the parents' account relayed by police, on 15 and 16 September 2026 several people took the student who made the images to an empty house on Jalan Tiner and then to the Ria Rio reservoir in Kayu Putih, punched him on the nose, ears and head, kicked his chest and stomach and threatened him with a bladed weapon; he filed an assault report, police are handling it alongside the image case and plan mediation, and the school has mediated with the parents. Police attribute the assault to friends of the depicted students (ANTARA 24 September; detik and VIVA quoting the spokesperson), while Kompas.com (23 September) quotes the spokesperson as saying the depicted students beat him.","causal_attribution":"Parents' report as relayed by the police spokesperson; the alleged assailants were still being identified."}],"effects":[{"label":"several female junior-high students' photographs were edited with AI into indecent images and circulated as WhatsApp stickers, with a social-media claim that about 200 were sold","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"},{"label":"the student who made the images was beaten on two days and threatened with a bladed weapon by schoolmates angry at the images, according to his parents' report relayed by police","claim_id":"c4","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2026/09/23/15472151/siswa-smp-di-jaktim-diduga-edit-foto-sejumlah-siswi-dengan-ai-jadi-konten","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"id","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-25 (Kompas.com, 23 September 2026 15:47 WIB; html lang=id). Indonesian; passages quoted in the original and paraphrased in English by the reviewer.","independence_group":"polres-metro-jakarta-timur-briefing"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2026/09/23/20403251/siswa-smp-di-jaktim-yang-edit-foto-siswi-pakai-ai-malah-lapor-polisi","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"id","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-25 (Kompas.com, 23 September 2026 20:40 WIB; html lang=id). Reports the assault complaint, the police account that the depicted students' friends beat the student, and the education office's statement on school mediation.","independence_group":"polres-metro-jakarta-timur-briefing"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2026/09/24/06285861/siswa-smp-di-jaktim-edit-foto-siswi-jadi-tak-senonoh-pakai-ai-dijual-dan","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"id","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-25 (Kompas.com, 24 September 2026 06:28 WIB; html lang=id). Notes that the sale allegation still rests on the social-media post.","independence_group":"polres-metro-jakarta-timur-briefing"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.antaranews.com/berita/5754759/polisi-usut-dugaan-pelecehan-seksual-siswa-di-jaktim-lewat-foto-ai","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"id","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-25 (ANTARA, 23 September 2026 16:46 WIB; html lang=id). Agency report from the Pulogadung police station briefing.","independence_group":"polres-metro-jakarta-timur-briefing"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.antaranews.com/berita/5757344/siswa-smp-di-jaktim-dianiaya-usai-edit-foto-temannya-pakai-ai","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"id","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-25 (ANTARA, 24 September 2026 21:09 WIB; html lang=id). Details of the assault complaint as relayed by the police spokesperson from the parents' account.","independence_group":"polres-metro-jakarta-timur-briefing"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://news.detik.com/berita/d-8677002/foto-siswi-smp-di-jaktim-diedit-ai-jadi-vulgar-dan-stiker-polisi-selidiki","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"id","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-25 (detik.com, 24 September 2026 12:34 WIB; html lang=id-ID). Spokesperson quoted by telephone; states no report yet from the depicted students.","independence_group":"polres-metro-jakarta-timur-briefing"},{"id":"s7","url":"https://www.viva.co.id/berita/metro/1930788-edit-foto-teman-pakai-ai-jadi-vulgar-siswa-smp-di-jaktim-dipukuli-lalu-lapor-polisi","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"id","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-25 (VIVA, 24 September 2026 12:38 WIB; html lang=id-ID). Same telephone remarks; 'hundreds of photographs' and sticker circulation.","independence_group":"polres-metro-jakarta-timur-briefing"},{"id":"s8","url":"https://mediaindonesia.com/megapolitan/936703/polisi-selidiki-dugaan-pelecehan-seksual-siswa-smp-jaktim-lewat-foto-ai","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"id","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-25 (Media Indonesia, 23 September 2026; html lang=id). Relays the briefing; notes police have not disclosed identities.","independence_group":"polres-metro-jakarta-timur-briefing"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use","own_use"],"contexts":["education","privacy","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["When the photographs were edited and how many students were depicted; police say the chronology, the editing tool and the number of depicted students are still being established (the 15-16 September dates are the assault dates).","Whether any images were actually sold, to whom, and how widely the stickers circulated; the sale figure comes from a social-media post.","The injuries suffered by the student who was beaten; the reports describe the blows but not injuries or treatment.","Whether the depicted students have since filed a report, and whether any charge, diversion or school sanction has followed.","Which police unit holds the image case: three Kompas items quote 'Polres Metro Jaksel' while the first Kompas item, ANTARA and Media Indonesia say Polres Metro Jakarta Timur.","Who carried out the beating: the depicted students (Kompas.com, 23 September, quoting the spokesperson: 'korbannya banyak, (korban) kesel, akhirnya dipukullah') or their friends (ANTARA, 24 September: 'teman-teman para korban')."],"geography":{"basis":"The school is a state junior high school in East Jakarta (Kompas.com, ANTARA, Media Indonesia), in Pulogadung according to detik and VIVA; the assault locations are in Kayu Putih, Pulogadung (ANTARA); the depicted students are schoolmates there. No court proceeding is reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["ID"],"affected_person_countries":["ID"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact case involving minors: AI-edited indecent images of several junior-high students circulated as stickers, confirmed by the East Jakarta police spokesperson and reported by five Indonesian outlets that relay the same briefing (one chain; the sale figure is a social-media claim police call unverified), with the reported beating of the student who made the images recorded as a consequence. Claims are recorded as reported. No student, school or social-media account is named; the image content is not described beyond indecent.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-25"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The East Jakarta police spokesperson confirmed that the photographs were edited using artificial intelligence and made into stickers; the tool is not identified and police say the editing method is still being established. All outlets relay the police statements.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"East Jakarta: police confirm a grade-9 student at a state junior high school edited several female schoolmates' photographs with AI into indecent images that circulated as WhatsApp stickers; a social-media post said about 200 images were sold; the student was later beaten by schoolmates angry at the images (police statements differ on whether the depicted students or their friends did so) and both matters are under police investigation (Kompas, ANTARA, detik, VIVA, Media Indonesia, 23-24 September 2026)","summary":"On 23 September 2026 the spokesperson of the East Jakarta metropolitan police (Polres Metro Jakarta Timur) confirmed to reporters that a grade-9 student at a state junior high school in Pulogadung, East Jakarta, had edited photographs of several female schoolmates using artificial intelligence so that they appeared indecent, and that the edited images had been made into WhatsApp stickers; the police women-and-children protection unit is investigating. The case surfaced through a post on Threads which said about 200 edited photographs had been produced and sold to others; Kompas.com noted on 24 September that the sale allegation still rested only on that post, VIVA reported that police were still checking the claim that the images had been sold, and ANTARA reported on 23 September that police were still establishing the editing method, the recipients and the number of depicted students. As of 24 September the depicted students had not filed a report (detik and VIVA date the spokesperson's telephone remarks 'Kamis (22/9/2026)', a date that is internally inconsistent) and police appealed to them to do so. According to the parents' account relayed by police, on 15 and 16 September several people took the student who made the images to an empty house and then to a reservoir in Kayu Putih, punched him on the nose, ears and head, kicked his chest and stomach and threatened him with a bladed weapon; police attribute the beating to friends of the depicted students (ANTARA, detik, VIVA), while Kompas.com's 23 September report quotes the same spokesperson as saying the depicted students themselves beat him; he filed an assault report, which police are handling alongside the image case, and the school has held mediation with the students' parents. No student or school is named in the reports.","incidentDate":"2026-09-15","incidentEndDate":"2026-09-16","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-23","aiSystem":"AI image-editing tool used to alter photographs into indecent images; not identified in the police statements or the reports","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse","physical_injury"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Several female junior-high students had their photographs edited with AI into indecent images that were made into WhatsApp stickers and, according to a social-media post relayed by the outlets, sold; police confirm the editing and the stickers and are investigating it as alleged sexual harassment ('dugaan pelecehan seksual') through the women-and-children protection unit. The student who made the images was, according to his parents' report relayed by police, beaten on two days by schoolmates angry at the images (the depicted students per Kompas.com, their friends per ANTARA, detik and VIVA) (punched and kicked on the head, chest and stomach and threatened with a bladed weapon); the injuries are not described. Both harms are reported through the police spokesperson.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":1,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"partial","affectedCountEvidence":"Counted: the grade-9 student who made the images, reported by police to have been beaten on 15 and 16 September (one person). Not counted: the depicted female students, described as 'beberapa siswi' (several) and 'sejumlah siswi' by police and the outlets; police say the number of depicted students is still being established, and the 'about 200' figure refers to photographs in a social-media post, not to people. Status partial: one counted person plus an unquantified number of depicted students. He is counted as a participant user because he used the AI tool; his reported harm followed from that use.","victimAgeRange":"minor","jurisdiction":"ID","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2026/09/23/15472151/siswa-smp-di-jaktim-diduga-edit-foto-sejumlah-siswi-dengan-ai-jadi-konten","primarySourceLabel":"Kompas.com, 23 September 2026: Siswa SMP di Jaktim Diduga Edit Foto Sejumlah Siswi dengan AI Jadi Konten Dewasa","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-25T03:54:25.193666+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:41.38713+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","non-consensual-imagery","minors","school","indonesia","jakarta","whatsapp-stickers","assault","police-investigation","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-jeju-middle-school-student-filmed-teachers-deepfake-composites-referred","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'제주동부경찰서는 도내 모 중학교 재학생 A군을 성폭력범죄의 처벌 등에 관한 특례법 위반(카메라 등 이용 촬영) 혐의로 지난 17일 불구속 송치했다고 23일 밝혔다.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'제주동부경찰서는 성폭력범죄의 처벌 등에 관한 특례법상 카메라 등을 이용한 촬영 혐의로 A 군을 불구속 송치했다고 23일 밝혔다.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Jeju Dongbu Police Station announced on 23 September 2026 that a student at a Jeju middle school had been referred to prosecutors without detention on 17 September for violating the Sexual Violence Punishment Act (filming using a camera or similar device).","causal_attribution":"Police announcement carried by both outlets (one origin)."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'경찰은 A군의 휴대전화를 보호자 측으로부터 임의제출받아 디지털 포렌식을 진행했다. 포렌식 과정에서 일부 교사와 관련된 촬영물과 일부 성적 합성물이 확인됐으며, A군은 범행을 인정하고 자백한 것으로 파악됐다.'; '포렌식 결과 일부 선정적인 합성물이 확인됐고, 수치심을 유발할 정도의 자료는 범죄 혐의에 포함해 수사했다'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The student's phone was voluntarily submitted by his guardians and forensically examined; the examination found footage relating to some teachers and some sexual composites, the student admitted the conduct, and police say suggestive composites causing shame were included in the charged conduct.","causal_attribution":"Police account to Seoul Shinmun."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'처음 신고된 피해 교사 외에도 피해 교사가 더 있는 것은 맞지만 몇 명인지는 밝히기 어렵다'; '일부에서 학생 피해자가 있다는 이야기가 있었지만 확인 결과 해당 학교 재학생 피해자는 없었다'; '피해교사들이 현재도 해당 학교에서 학생들을 가르치고 있어 피해 사실이 알려질 경우 2차 피해로 이어질 수 있다는 이유에서다.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'피해자가 다수 있는 것을 확인했다'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Police say there are more victim teachers than the one first reported but withheld the number because the teachers still teach at the school and disclosure could cause secondary harm, and that no student at the school was a victim.","causal_attribution":"Police official quoted by Seoul Shinmun."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'특히 피해교사들이 직접 여러 학생과 관련된 촬영물을 확인했는데도 별도의 강제 압수수색 없이 사건이 마무리되는 것 아니냐는 우려를 제기했다.'; '임의제출받은 휴대전화에 대한 포렌식으로 필요한 증거를 확보했다'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The Jeju teachers' union questioned whether the full scope of harm was established, saying the victim teachers had themselves seen footage involving several students yet no compulsory seizure was made; police replied that forensics of the voluntarily submitted phone secured the necessary evidence.","causal_attribution":"Union and police positions as reported."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'피해교사들은 사건이 드러난 지 두 달이 지나도록 병원 치료와 심리상담을 받으면서도 매일 학교에 출근해 수업하고 있다.'; '지난 14일에는 변호사 조력 없이 경찰 피해자 조사를 받았고, 17일에는 교육청과 학교안전공제회의 조력 없이 지역교권보호위원회에 출석했다. 형사고소장도 피해교사들이 직접 작성해 제출했다고 노조는 주장했다.'; '대체교사를 구하기 어려워 사용할 수 있는 특별휴가 16일 가운데 3~4일 정도만 사용하고 있다는 게 노조 측 설명이다.'; '노조는 학교안전공제회가 형사고소 변호사비를 피해교사 개인별이 아닌'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"According to the union, two months after the case came to light the victim teachers are receiving hospital treatment and counselling while going to school every day; on 14 September they gave police statements without a lawyer and on 17 September attended the regional teachers' rights protection committee without institutional support; they wrote the criminal complaint themselves; they have used only three or four of 16 days of special leave because substitute teachers cannot be found; and the school safety mutual-aid association proposes legal fees of 3.3 million won for all victim teachers combined, payable after the case ends.","causal_attribution":"The union's account as reported; not independently confirmed."},{"id":"c6","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'교육청에도 치료비나 휴식, 병가 등 피해교사에 대한 지원이 필요하다는 취지로 이야기했다'; '피해교사들은 지난 1일과 3일 두 차례 교육감 면담을 요청했지만 받아들여지지 않았고'; '노조는 오는 10월 2일까지 전국 교사·시민을 대상으로 가해자 엄벌 탄원과 피해교사 지원을 요구하는 서명운동을 벌인다.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Police said they had told the education office that the teachers need support such as treatment costs, rest and sick leave; the victim teachers requested meetings with the superintendent on 1 and 3 September without success and a third written request was sent to the superintendent's office on 21 September; the union is collecting signatures until 2 October 2026 for severe punishment and victim support.","causal_attribution":"Police and union statements as reported; the meeting requests are described in a passage introduced by reference to the union side."},{"id":"c7","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'A 군은 7월 중순쯤 모 중학교 현장체험학습 도중 교사의 신체를 휴대전화로 촬영한 혐의로 입건됐다.'; '경찰은 휴대전화 조사 과정에서 범행이 수개월간 이어졌으며 피해자가 다수 있는 것을 확인했다.'; '다만 경찰은 합성물을 유포한 정황은 발견하지 못했다고 전했다.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"News1 reports that the student was booked for filming a teacher's body with his phone during a school field trip around mid-July 2026, that the phone examination showed the offending had continued for several months with multiple victims, and that police found no indication the composites were distributed.","causal_attribution":"Police account as reported by News1."}],"effects":[{"label":"teachers secretly filmed by a student, with some footage turned into sexual deepfake composites","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"},{"label":"victim teachers in hospital treatment and counselling for two months while teaching daily; questioned without a lawyer, attended the protection committee without support and wrote the complaint themselves","claim_id":"c5","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.seoul.co.kr/news/society/accident/2026/09/23/20260923500094","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"ko","translation_note":"Read live in Korean on 2026-09-23 (Seoul Shinmun, 강동삼, published 11:18 KST 23 September 2026): police announcement, the paper's own call to a police official, the Jeju teachers' union's statements. Model reading; no human bilingual review.","independence_group":"seoul-shinmun"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.news1.kr/local/jeju/6300227","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"ko","translation_note":"Read in Korean on 2026-09-23 through the r.jina.ai reader proxy (live page 403); News1 Jeju, 고동명, 23 September 2026: the police announcement of the referral, the mid-July field-trip filming for which he was booked, several months of offending with multiple victims, and no indication of distribution of the composites. Model reading; no human bilingual review.","independence_group":"news1"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["education","work","justice"],"unknowns":["The number of victim teachers (police confirm more than one).","The filming for which the student was booked took place around mid-July 2026 during a school field trip (News1); police say the offending continued for several months, so the start date is unknown; the record uses July 2026 with month precision.","The tool used and whether the composites are separately charged.","The student's age and grade.","Whether prosecutors indict and how the juvenile case is handled.","Korean bodies were read by the model without human bilingual review."],"geography":{"basis":"A middle school on Jeju, South Korea; investigated by Jeju Dongbu Police Station; the teachers work there (Seoul Shinmun, News1). Referred to prosecutors; no court proceeding yet.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["KR"],"affected_person_countries":["KR"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact case in a school with an ongoing adverse experience for the victim teachers, documented by a police announcement and the paper's own police and union interviews; the student admitted the conduct per police. Single origin for each claim, so all are recorded as reported. No teacher, student or school is named; the student is a minor.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-23"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Police say forensic examination of the student's phone found sexual composites made from footage of teachers; both outlets describe them as deepfake composites and News1 describes the suspected method as deepfake; the tool is not named. The primary charge is illegal filming, and police told News1 they found no indication the composites were distributed.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Jeju: a middle-school student who secretly filmed teachers at his school and turned some of the footage into sexual deepfake composites was referred to prosecutors without detention on 17 September 2026; police say the victims are teachers (more than one, number withheld) and no students at the school, the teachers' union questions whether the full scope of harm was confirmed, and the union says the victim teachers have been in treatment for two months while teaching daily, were questioned without a lawyer and wrote the criminal complaint themselves","summary":"Jeju Dongbu police announced on 23 September 2026 that a student at a middle school on Jeju had been referred to prosecutors without detention on 17 September for violating the Sexual Violence Punishment Act (filming with a camera or similar device). The student's phone was voluntarily submitted by his guardians and forensically examined; the examination found footage relating to some teachers and some sexual composites, and the student admitted the conduct. News1 reported that the student was booked for filming a teacher's body with his phone during a school field trip around mid-July 2026, that police found the offending had continued for several months with multiple victims, and that police found no indication the composites had been distributed. Police told Seoul Shinmun that there are more victim teachers than the one first reported but declined to give a number because the teachers are still teaching at the school and disclosure could cause secondary harm; that some suggestive composites were found and material causing shame was included in the charges; and that, contrary to earlier suggestions, no student at the school was a victim. The Jeju teachers' union questioned whether the full extent of the harm had been established, saying the victim teachers had themselves seen footage involving several students yet no compulsory seizure was made; police say the voluntary submission and forensic examination secured the necessary evidence. According to the union, two months after the case came to light the victim teachers are receiving hospital treatment and counselling while going to school every day; on 14 September they gave police victim statements without a lawyer and on 17 September attended the regional teachers' rights protection committee without support from the education office or the school safety mutual-aid association; they wrote and filed the criminal complaint themselves; substitute teachers are hard to find so they have used only three or four of 16 days of special leave; and the mutual-aid association proposes 3.3 million won in legal fees for all victim teachers together, payable after the case ends. The victim teachers requested meetings with the superintendent on 1 and 3 September without success, and a third written request was sent to the superintendent's office on 21 September; the union is running a petition until 2 October for severe punishment and support. Police said they had told the education office that the teachers need support such as treatment costs, rest and sick leave.","incidentDate":"2026-07-01","incidentKind":"ongoing_experience","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-23","aiSystem":"AI image-compositing ('deepfake') tool; not named in the police announcement","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse","psychological_distress","professional_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Teachers were secretly filmed by a student and some footage was turned into sexual deepfake composites; two months on, per the union, the victim teachers are in hospital treatment and counselling while continuing to teach at the same school and handled the police statement, the protection committee and the criminal complaint without legal or institutional support. The filming and composites are admitted per police; the teachers' situation is the union's account.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":2,"affectedCountStatus":"documented_minimum","affectedCountEvidence":"Police told Seoul Shinmun there are victim teachers beyond the one first reported but withheld the number, and told News1 the examination confirmed multiple victims; two is the documented minimum. No student victims at the school per police. Documented minimum 2.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"KR","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.seoul.co.kr/news/society/accident/2026/09/23/20260923500094","primarySourceLabel":"Seoul Shinmun, 23 September 2026: police say there were no student victims; middle-school student who secretly filmed teachers and made deepfakes referred to prosecutors without detention","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-23T03:45:58.820151+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:41.8046+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","south-korea","jeju","teachers","school","illegal-filming","prosecutor-referral","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-berlin-weissensee-heinz-brandt-schule-ai-nude-images-classmates","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'An der Heinz-Brandt-Schule in Berlin-Weißensee wird gegen zwei Schüler wegen des Verdachts ermittelt, KI-generierte sexualisierte Nacktbilder von Mitschülerinnen erstellt und verbreitet zu haben.'; 'Die Senatsverwaltung für Bildung bestätigte dem Tagesspiegel die Vorfälle und die laufenden Ermittlungen.'; 'Den Schülern sollen mindestens drei Fälle vorgeworfen werden. Die Schulleitung informierte die Schulgemeinschaft, dass sie am vergangenen Freitag von den Vorfällen erfahren habe.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Two pupils of the Heinz-Brandt-Schule in Berlin-Weißensee are suspected of having created and distributed AI-generated sexualised nude images of female classmates in at least three cases; the school leadership learned of the incidents on 'the previous Friday' (19 June 2026, read relative to the 24 June 2026 report), informed parents in a letter, and the Senate Department for Education confirmed the incidents and the investigation.","causal_attribution":"The school's letter and the Senate confirmation as reported by the Tagesspiegel; 'vergangenen Freitag' before the 24 June 2026 report is 19 June 2026."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Die beiden mutmaßlich hauptverantwortlichen Schüler seien mit sofortiger Wirkung vom Unterricht suspendiert worden. Zudem habe die Schule Maßnahmen gegen Schülerinnen und Schüler verhängt, die von den Bildern gewusst, die Vorfälle jedoch nicht gemeldet haben sollen.'; 'In dem Schreiben bezeichnet die Schulleitung die mutmaßlichen Taten als „massiven Angriff auf die Persönlichkeitsrechte der betroffenen Schülerinnen“ und als „Form sexualisierter Gewalt“.'; 'Als Reaktion wolle die Schule ihr Präventionskonzept sowie das Konzept zur Sexualerziehung überarbeiten.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The two pupils alleged to be mainly responsible were suspended from lessons with immediate effect and the school imposed measures on pupils who are said to have known of the images and not reported them; the school called the alleged acts a massive attack on the affected girls' personality rights and a form of sexualised violence and said it would revise its prevention and sex-education concepts.","causal_attribution":"The school's letter as reported."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'„Es liegen Anzeigen wegen der Erstellung sogenannter Deepfakes vor“, sagte ein Sprecher der Berliner Polizei.'; 'Die Ermittlungen dazu habe die Abteilung des Landeskriminalamts übernommen, die für Sexualdelikte zum Nachteil Minderjähriger zuständig sei.'; 'Dabei komme eine Strafbarkeit wegen des Besitzes, der Beschaffung, der Erstellung oder Verbreitung von Jugendpornografie nach Paragraf 184 c des Strafgesetzbuchs in Betracht.'; 'Die Schule habe die Polizei eingeschaltet, die Ermittlungen würden im Auftrag der Staatsanwaltschaft geführt.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"A Berlin police spokesman said complaints had been filed over the creation of deepfakes, that the State Criminal Police Office unit for sexual offences against minors had taken over the investigation, and that liability for possessing, obtaining, creating or distributing youth pornography under section 184c of the Criminal Code was under consideration; the school's letter says the investigation is conducted on behalf of the public prosecutor.","causal_attribution":"Police spokesman as quoted by the Tagesspiegel; the prosecutor's role is the school letter's statement."}],"effects":[{"label":"female pupils depicted in AI-generated sexualised nude images distributed at their school, described by the school as sexualised violence","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/schule/polizei-eingeschaltet-jugendliche-sollen-ki-nacktbilder-von-mitschulerinnen-an-berliner-schule-verbreitet-haben-15754057.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"de","translation_note":"Read live in German on 2026-09-22 (Der Tagesspiegel, 24 June 2026 14:39, marked 'Update', with dpa). Own reporting: the school leadership's letter to parents, statements from the Senate Department for Education, a Berlin police spokesman and the Pankow district parents' committee. Translated by the reviewer.","independence_group":"tagesspiegel"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["education","privacy","justice"],"unknowns":["How many girls were depicted; 'at least three cases' is a count of alleged acts, not of persons.","The ages of the suspects and of the depicted pupils, and the tool used.","When the images were created and how they were distributed.","Whether charges followed; no development after June 2026 was found on 2026-09-22.","The Berliner Morgenpost's first report was not read.","The date of the school's letter is not given; 19 June 2026 assumes 'am vergangenen Freitag' is relative to the week of the 24 June report."],"geography":{"basis":"Heinz-Brandt-Schule, Berlin-Weißensee, Pankow district; Berlin police and public prosecutor (Tagesspiegel). No court proceeding reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["DE"],"affected_person_countries":["DE"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an image-based abuse case affecting minors at a school, documented by the school's letter, the Senate education administration and the police through one newspaper's own reporting (single article, several official origins, recorded as reported). Not a death case. Nobody is named.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-22"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The school's letter and the Senate education administration describe KI-generated sexualised nude images; the police spokesman refers to complaints over the creation of deepfakes. No tool is named and no forensic detail is public. The artifacts depicted the girls; no AI system interacted with them.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Berlin-Weißensee: two pupils of the Heinz-Brandt-Schule are suspected of creating and distributing AI-generated sexualised nude images of female classmates in at least three cases; the school suspended them and sanctioned pupils who are said to have known and not reported, and the police's sexual-offences unit investigates with liability under section 184c StGB (youth pornography) under consideration","summary":"On 'the previous Friday' (19 June 2026, read relative to the 24 June 2026 report) the leadership of the Heinz-Brandt-Schule in Berlin-Weißensee (Pankow district) learned that two of its pupils were suspected of having created and distributed AI-generated sexualised nude images of female classmates; the school wrote to parents that it was 'shocked and appalled' that classmates' photographs had been abused in this way and described the alleged acts as a massive attack on the personality rights of the affected girls and a form of sexualised violence. The two pupils alleged to be mainly responsible were suspended from lessons with immediate effect, and the school imposed measures on pupils who are said to have known about the images without reporting them. The Senate Department for Education confirmed the incidents and the ongoing investigation in the Tagesspiegel's report of 24 June 2026. The school's letter says the investigation is conducted on behalf of the public prosecutor. A Berlin police spokesman said complaints had been filed over the creation of so-called deepfakes, that the investigation had been taken over by the State Criminal Police Office unit responsible for sexual offences against minors, and that criminal liability for possessing, obtaining, creating or distributing youth pornography under section 184c of the Criminal Code was under consideration; the police gave no further details, citing victim protection. At least three cases are alleged. The school said it would revise its prevention and sex-education concepts and asked parents to talk to their children about handling other people's photographs and AI applications. Nobody is named; the number of girls depicted is not reported.","incidentDate":"2026-06-19","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-06-24","aiSystem":"AI image-generation ('deepfake') tool, not named","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Female pupils were depicted in AI-generated sexualised nude images that were distributed at their school, which the school describes as a massive attack on their personality rights and a form of sexualised violence; the creation and distribution are attributed by the school's letter to two suspended pupils, and the police confirm complaints over the creation of deepfakes and an investigation by the LKA unit for sexual offences against minors. No account from the depicted girls has been published.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"unquantified","affectedCountEvidence":"The report speaks of 'Mitschülerinnen' (female classmates, plural) and of 'mindestens drei Fälle' (at least three cases) alleged against the pupils, without stating how many girls were depicted; a count of cases is not a count of persons. Unquantified, with zero placeholders.","victimAgeRange":"minor","jurisdiction":"DE-BE","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/schule/polizei-eingeschaltet-jugendliche-sollen-ki-nacktbilder-von-mitschulerinnen-an-berliner-schule-verbreitet-haben-15754057.html","primarySourceLabel":"Der Tagesspiegel, 24 June 2026: Polizei eingeschaltet: Jugendliche sollen KI-Nacktbilder von Mitschülerinnen an Berliner Schule verbreitet haben","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-22T03:45:58.07027+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:28.398558+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","ai-generated-imagery","ncii","minor","school","germany","berlin","pankow","184c-stgb","depicted"]},{"id":"2026-texas-goodwin-ai-deepfake-campaign-ads-sheriff-complaint","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'has filed a police report accusing Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of violating Texas law after his campaign released two ads featuring AI-generated videos of Goodwin.'; 'submitted with a complaint filed Saturday with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'filed a police report saying that artificial intelligence-generated ads released by Patrick's campaign in September violated state law.'; 'The Travis County Sheriff’s Office confirmed receipt of Goodwin's complaint but did not offer additional comment.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'according to a notarized affidavit she filed Saturday with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"On Saturday 19 September 2026 Vikki Goodwin filed a complaint with a sworn affidavit at the Travis County Sheriff's Office accusing Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of violating the 2019 Texas election deepfake law after his campaign posted two ads with AI-generated videos of her; the sheriff's office confirmed receipt of the complaint.","causal_attribution":"The filing is reported from the affidavit (Tribune, KXAN) and confirmed by the sheriff's office (KUT)."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'I did not personally do or say the things depicted in the video; although the ‘person’ in the video appears to be me, it was not actually me'; 'Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick posted the video with the intent to deceive Texans, injure a candidate, or influence the result of an election'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'The affidavit alleges two instances of AI-generated deepfakes targeting Goodwin, the first on Sept. 5 (27 workdays prior to Oct. 19) and the second on Sept. 12 (23 workdays).'; 'Both of the videos were posted by Patrick’s non-government account on the social media website X'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'The AI ads were making it look as though I'm in favor of increasing taxes, and of course, nobody wants their taxes to be increased, so that's going to turn voters off'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"In the affidavit Goodwin stated that she did not do or say the things depicted, that the person in the video appeared to be her but was not, and that Patrick posted the video with intent to deceive Texans, injure a candidate or influence the election; the affidavit identifies two posts, on 5 and 12 September 2026, on Patrick's non-government X account; Goodwin told KUT the ads made it look as though she favoured raising taxes.","causal_attribution":"The candidate's sworn allegations and interview statements; not independently established beyond the existence and contents of the affidavit."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Allen Blakemore, a campaign spokesman for Patrick, told the New York Times that the material was “an obvious parody produced to entertain.”'; 'Furthermore, we have not published or distributed any of these parodies within 30 days of the election.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Patrick campaign spokesman Allen Blakemore told The New York Times on Saturday that the videos were “an obvious parody produced to entertain.”'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'KUT News also reached out to Patrick’s campaign, but has not yet received a response.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Patrick's campaign spokesman told the New York Times the material was 'an obvious parody produced to entertain' and that none of it was published or distributed within 30 days of the election; KUT received no response from the campaign.","causal_attribution":"The campaign's response as relayed from the New York Times, which this review could not read."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Goodwin cited a 2019 Texas law banning the deepfake videos from being published or distributed within 30 days of an election.'; 'defines a deepfake video as appearing to depict a real person performing an action that did not occur, with the intent to deceive.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'A conviction under the deepfake law is a class A misdemeanor, which can carry a fine of up to $4,000 and/or up to one year imprisonment.'; 'while Election Day is Nov. 3, early voting begins Oct. 19.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"The 2019 Texas law bans deepfake videos, defined as appearing to depict a real person performing an action that did not occur with intent to deceive, within 30 days of an election; early voting begins on 19 October 2026; a conviction is a class A misdemeanour with up to a $4,000 fine and a year in jail.","causal_attribution":"Legal background as described by the outlets; whether the posts fall within the statutory window is disputed between the campaigns."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The posts were still public when Goodwin filed her police report and affidavit on Sept. 19 but were taken down the following day, according to Sophia Mirto, Goodwin’s communications director.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'However, links to the posts lead to messages saying that the posts don’t exist.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'Goodwin linked to two specific posts on X; however, those posts now appear to have been deleted.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The two posts are no longer available on X; according to Goodwin's communications director they were taken down on 20 September 2026, the day after the complaint.","causal_attribution":"The deletion date is the Goodwin campaign's account; KXAN and KUT observed only that the posts no longer resolve."}],"effects":[{"label":"the candidate was depicted in AI-generated campaign videos saying things she did not say, which she says misrepresented her tax position to voters","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"},{"label":"she filed a sworn criminal complaint; the posts were removed the following day, her campaign says","claim_id":"c5","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/21/texas-goodwin-patrick-ad-police-complaint/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (The Texas Tribune, 21 September 2026 17:48 Central). Affidavit shared with the Tribune; Patrick campaign statement relayed from the New York Times; communications director on the deletion.","independence_group":"texas-tribune"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.kut.org/politics/2026-09-21/vikki-goodwin-dan-patrick-ai-deepfake-campaign-ads-texas-lieutenant-governor-race","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (KUT Austin, 21 September 2026 13:03 CDT). Own interview with Goodwin on Monday; the Travis County Sheriff's Office confirmed receipt of the complaint to KUT.","independence_group":"kut"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/election-2026/2026/09/21/562352/vikki-goodwin-files-police-report-saying-dan-patrick-broke-law-with-ai-generated-campaign-ads/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (Houston Public Media, 21 September 2026). Same KUT report; grouped with s2.","independence_group":"kut"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/lt-gov-candidate-goodwin-reports-dan-patrick-social-media-deepfakes-to-travis-county-sheriff/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live in English on 2026-09-22 (KXAN Austin, AMP page, 21 September 2026; JSON-LD retained). Affidavit dates of the two posts, misdemeanour penalty, Patrick campaign statement relayed from the New York Times.","independence_group":"kxan"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/19/us/vikki-goodwin-dan-patrick-ai-attack-ads-texas.html","kind":"news_report","access":"unavailable","language":null,"translation_note":"New York Times, 19 September 2026: answered HTTP 403 on 2026-09-21 and 2026-09-22; its content is known only through the Tribune and KXAN. Not relied on.","independence_group":"nyt"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["elections","justice","public_life"],"unknowns":["What the two videos showed and said; they were deleted, and the inspected reports describe them only as an AI-generated Goodwin describing her policies (KUT relaying the New York Times) with a tax theme (Goodwin to KUT).","Which tool produced the videos and who made them for the campaign.","Whether the Travis County Sheriff's Office opened an investigation; Goodwin herself doubted it would.","Whether the 5 and 12 September posts fall within the statutory 30-day window, which the two campaigns dispute.","The New York Times report that first carried the campaign's response could not be read."],"geography":{"basis":"Posts on the X account of the Texas lieutenant governor concerning a Texas election; complaint filed with the Travis County Sheriff's Office in Austin, Texas (Tribune, KUT, KXAN). No court proceeding exists.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an impersonation case involving a public figure: a candidate depicted by AI-generated video in an opponent's ads, with a sworn complaint filed and the posts removed. Four bodies read across three reporting chains (the affidavit via the Tribune and KXAN, the sheriff's confirmation via KUT, the opposing campaign via the Times). The depiction is undisputed; deception and illegality are disputed and recorded as such. Both principals are public officials.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-22"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The Texas Tribune, KUT and KXAN describe the two ads as AI-generated videos of Goodwin; her affidavit says the person in the video appears to be her but is not; the Patrick campaign does not deny the videos were generated and describes them as parody. The tool is not identified and the videos are no longer online.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Texas: State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, filed a sworn complaint with the Travis County Sheriff's Office on 19 September 2026 alleging that two campaign ads posted on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's X account used AI-generated video of her saying things she never said; the posts were deleted the next day, her campaign says, and Patrick's campaign calls them obvious parody","summary":"On Saturday 19 September 2026 Vikki Goodwin, an Austin state representative running against Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, filed a complaint with a notarised affidavit at the Travis County Sheriff's Office accusing Patrick of violating Texas's 2019 election deepfake law, after his campaign posted two ads (5 and 12 September, on his non-government X account) containing AI-generated videos of her. In the affidavit she stated: 'I did not personally do or say the things depicted in the video; although the \"person\" in the video appears to be me, it was not actually me', and that the video was posted 'with the intent to deceive Texans, injure a candidate, or influence the result of an election'. She told KUT the ads made it look as though she favoured raising taxes, which she says she opposes in every campaign speech. The sheriff's office confirmed receipt of the complaint without further comment. Patrick's campaign spokesman told the New York Times the material was 'an obvious parody produced to entertain' and that none of it was published within 30 days of the election; the posts were taken down the day after the complaint, according to Goodwin's communications director. Goodwin said she doubted the sheriff's office would follow up now that the posts were removed. A conviction under the law is a class A misdemeanour.","incidentDate":"2026-09-05","incidentEndDate":"2026-09-20","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-19","aiSystem":"AI-generated video (deepfake) of the candidate in two campaign ads; tool not identified","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["reputational_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A candidate was depicted in AI-generated campaign videos saying things she did not say, which she says misrepresented her position on taxes to voters; she filed a sworn criminal complaint and the posts were removed the next day. The depiction is undisputed (the Patrick campaign calls the videos parody); whether it was deceptive or unlawful is disputed and unresolved.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"disputed","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One depicted person, the candidate who filed the complaint. Exact 1. Voters said to have been misled are not counted.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"US-TX","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"media_coverage","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/21/texas-goodwin-patrick-ad-police-complaint/","primarySourceLabel":"The Texas Tribune, 21 September 2026: In lieutenant governor race, Vikki Goodwin says Dan Patrick ads are illegal AI deepfakes","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-22T03:45:53.964979+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:56.666615+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","ai-generated-video","election","political-advertising","texas","travis-county","public-figure","depicted"]},{"id":"2026-picos-piaui-ai-voice-clone-uncle-car-purchase-fraud","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Os golpistas utilizaram foto e áudios com voz clonada por inteligência artificial para se passar pelo tio'; 'iniciou negociação na segunda-feira (10), após encontrar um anúncio na internet com venda em Fortaleza (CE)'; 'Eles usaram a foto do familiar do influenciador e enviaram áudios que imitavam a voz dele'; 'usando algum tipo de inteligência artificial e a voz idêntica'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"On 10-11 August 2026 fraudsters contacted the influencer from a different number using his uncle's photo and sent audios imitating the uncle's voice, generated with AI, to pose as the uncle who was supposed to inspect a car advertised for sale in Fortaleza.","causal_attribution":"Victim's account as reported by G1."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'perdeu mais de R$ 56 mil ao cair em um golpe durante a compra de um carro'; 'o golpista afirmou que o carro estava em boas condições e o orientou a realizar a transferência bancária'; 'entrou em contato com o número verdadeiro do tio descobriu que havia sido vítima de um golpe. O prejuízo ultrapassou R$ 56 mil'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Believing the audios came from his uncle, he made the bank transfer; the loss exceeded R$56,000, and he discovered the fraud when he called the uncle's real number.","causal_attribution":"Victim's account; the loss is attributed to the fraudsters."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Um boletim de ocorrência foi registrado na terça-feira (11) e o caso é investigado pela Delegacia Especializada em Crimes contra o Patrimônio (Depatri)'; 'também tenta, junto aos bancos, o reembolso do valor pago'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"A police report was registered on Tuesday 11 August 2026; the case is under investigation by Depatri; the victim is seeking reimbursement from the banks.","causal_attribution":"G1 report; the police unit had not responded to G1."}],"effects":[{"label":"a bank transfer of more than R$56,000 lost after audios in a relative's AI-cloned voice 'confirmed' the purchase","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://g1.globo.com/pi/piaui/noticia/2026/08/13/influenciador-golpe-com-voz-clonada.ghtml","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"pt","translation_note":"Read live in Portuguese on 2026-09-20 (HTTP 200). Based on the victim's social-media account and an interview with G1; quotations translated by the reviewer.","independence_group":"g1-piaui-2026-08-13"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["The voice-cloning tool is not identified and no police or technical confirmation of the AI element is reported.","The exact amount beyond 'more than R$56,000' and whether any money was recovered are not stated.","Whether the uncle's number or accounts were compromised, or how the fraudsters obtained his photo and voice, is not reported.","No later coverage of the investigation was found.","An embedded video title on the G1 page gives the loss as R$ 50 mil; the article text says more than R$ 56 mil, which this record follows."],"geography":{"basis":"Victim in Picos, Piauí; the car was advertised in Fortaleza, Ceará, where the impersonated uncle lives; police report with the Piauí Depatri (G1 Piauí). No court proceeding.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["BR"],"affected_person_countries":["BR"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an impersonation-fraud case with a concrete financial loss reported by the victim in a public account and a registered police report. One source (G1 Piauí) read in full; claims recorded as reported and attributed. The victim is a public influencer who reported the case under his own name; he is not named in this record.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-20"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The victim states that the fraudsters sent audios imitating his uncle's voice 'usando algum tipo de inteligência artificial e a voz idêntica' together with the uncle's photo; G1 reports this as his account. No police or technical confirmation of the AI element is reported and the tool is unknown.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Picos, Piauí, Brazil: a digital influencer lost more than R$56,000 when fraudsters sent him audio messages in his uncle's AI-cloned voice 'confirming' a car he was buying in Fortaleza","summary":"On Monday 10 August 2026 a digital influencer from Picos, in the centre-south of Piauí, began negotiating a car advertised online for sale in Fortaleza (Ceará), where an uncle of his lives, and asked the sellers to take the car to the uncle so he could inspect it. On Tuesday 11 August a contact using a different number but the uncle's photo sent him audio messages in a voice identical to his uncle's, generated with artificial intelligence, saying the car was in good condition and telling him to make the bank transfer. Believing he was speaking to his uncle, he transferred the money; when he then called the uncle's real number he learned he had been defrauded. The loss exceeded R$56,000, money he says he had saved for years. He registered a police report on 11 August; the Piauí property-crimes unit (Depatri) is investigating and he is seeking a refund from the banks. The account is the victim's own, reported by G1 Piauí on 13 August 2026 from his social-media posts and an interview; the police unit did not respond to G1 before publication.","incidentDate":"2026-08-11","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"single_interaction","reportedDate":"2026-08-13","aiSystem":"AI voice cloning (tool not identified)","aiProduct":"Unidentified voice-cloning tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"One person lost more than R$56,000 in a bank transfer made after receiving audios in his uncle's cloned voice; the victim attributes the persuasion to AI voice cloning and the loss to the fraudsters.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One victim who made the transfer (G1 Piauí). No loss is reported for the uncle whose photo and voice were imitated, so he is not counted. Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"BR","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://g1.globo.com/pi/piaui/noticia/2026/08/13/influenciador-golpe-com-voz-clonada.ghtml","primarySourceLabel":"G1 Piauí, 13 August 2026: Influenciador do PI perde R$ 56 mil em golpe com voz clonada por IA durante compra de carro","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-20T03:28:14.49159+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:48.925543+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["voice-cloning","impersonation","car-purchase-fraud","brazil","piaui","financial-loss","first-person-account"]},{"id":"2026-hudsonville-michigan-ai-voice-clone-closing-wire-fraud","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"\"the four-bedroom, $460,000 condo in the nearby suburb of Hudsonville checked every box\"; \"But on May 19 this year, days before closing, they got a startling email. To keep the closing on schedule, it said, the couple needed to wire $66,026.92 to a specified bank account within 24 hours to cover a down payment and closing costs\"; \"received a call to confirm the instructions, and the voice on the phone sounded just like their loan officer\"; \"The couple wired the money.\"; \"The closing was canceled hours before the couple was scheduled to sign the final paperwork\"; \"the couple instead rushed to borrow money from family and other sources\"; \"had two extra letters: UnitedsMortgages, instead of UnitedMortgage\".","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"\"必須在24小時內把頭期款與交屋費用共計6萬6026.92元匯到指定銀行帳戶\"; \"收到一封緊急電郵，結果因此損失6萬多元\".","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"On 19 May 2026, days before closing on a US$460,000 condo in Hudsonville, Michigan, the couple received an email demanding a US$66,026.92 wire within 24 hours from an address with two extra letters and listing a phone number two digits off their loan officer's; the husband then received a call confirming the instructions in a voice that sounded just like the loan officer; the couple borrowed from family and wired the money, which was gone by the time the real loan officer's statement arrived the day before closing, and the closing was cancelled.","causal_attribution":"The couple's account to CNN; the World Journal item relays CNN."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"\"ensnared in a sophisticated real estate scam that uses suspected AI voice cloning and fake emails to target homebuyers in the frantic days before closing\"; \"The 64-year-old said he now believes the phone call that followed the emails was from a spoofed number and used AI-assisted voice cloning\"; \"home-buying process was compromised\"; \"likely took snippets of the loan officer\"; \"Neither the company nor the loan officer have been accused of any complicity in the scam\".","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"\"詐騙份子利用AI語音複製與偽造電郵\".","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The husband believes the call came from a spoofed number using AI-assisted voice cloning; CertifID's co-founder, working with the couple and federal officials, said someone's email in the transaction was likely compromised and that the scammers likely cloned the loan officer's voice from his social-media posts; CNN describes the fraud as using 'suspected AI voice cloning'.","causal_attribution":"Attribution by the victim and a fraud-prevention firm involved in the case; no forensic confirmation is published."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"\"They eventually got money from their mutual fund and completed the home purchase in early June\"; \"Internet Crime Complaint Center, the agency\"; \"wired the money to has since closed, the couple said\"; \"We are just very apprehensive\"; \"Do we need to work a little bit longer?\".","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"\"終於在6月初完成購屋手續。他們已向FBI「網際網路犯罪申訴中心」(Internet Crime Complaint Center)報案\".","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The couple later completed the purchase in early June 2026 from their mutual fund, filed a report with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, and say the receiving account has closed; they describe apprehension and discussions about delaying retirement.","causal_attribution":"The couple's account to CNN."}],"effects":[{"label":"a couple wired US$66,026.92 to scammers after a spoofed email and a call in a voice resembling their loan officer; closing cancelled, money not recovered","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/15/us/homebuyers-voice-cloning-scam","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-09-19 (CNN, Faith Karimi, published 15 Sep 2026, updated the same day). Interviews with the couple, CertifID's Tyler Adams and the National Association of Realtors; FBI figures; lender's counsel comment.","independence_group":"cnn"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.worldjournal.com/wj/story/121469/9231485","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"zh","translation_note":"Read in Traditional Chinese on 2026-09-16 and re-read on 2026-09-19 (World Journal, 15 Sep 2026): a relay of CNN's report, so it does not corroborate it; translation by the reviewer. Cited for the exact amount and the June completion of the purchase as reported in Chinese.","independence_group":"cnn"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["Whether the call in fact used AI voice cloning; no forensic finding is reported.","Whose email account was compromised and how the scammers obtained the transaction details.","Whether any funds have been recovered or suspects identified.","The exact loss after any recovery; CNN reports the wired amount and that the money was gone."],"geography":{"basis":"Hudsonville, a suburb of Grand Rapids, Michigan, per CNN's report and photographs; the couple live there. No court proceeding; an FBI IC3 report was filed.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an impersonation-fraud case with a concrete, quantified consequence: a couple lost US$66,026.92 after a call in a voice resembling their loan officer that they and a fraud-prevention firm attribute to AI voice cloning. One original report (CNN) and one relay read; AI involvement recorded as suspected; the couple are not named in this record.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-19"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"CNN describes 'suspected AI voice cloning'; the husband believes the confirming call used AI-assisted voice cloning from a spoofed number, and CertifID's co-founder, who is working on the case, says the scammers likely cloned the loan officer's voice from social-media clips. No technical confirmation is published. If the attribution is right, the AI impersonated a third party (the loan officer) in a live call with the victim; the email side of the fraud is ordinary spoofing.","status":"suspected"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated","communicated_with"]},"name":"Hudsonville (Grand Rapids area), Michigan: a couple wired US$66,026.92 to scammers after a spoofed email and a phone call in what sounded like their loan officer's voice, which they and a fraud-prevention firm attribute to AI voice cloning","summary":"A married couple in their sixties buying a US$460,000 condo in Hudsonville, near Grand Rapids, Michigan, received an email on 19 May 2026, days before closing, telling them to wire US$66,026.92 for the down payment and closing costs within 24 hours. The email listed a phone number differing from their loan officer's by two digits, and the husband then received a call confirming the instructions in a voice that sounded just like the loan officer. The couple borrowed from family and other sources and wired the money. The day before closing their real loan officer sent the actual statement; the closing was cancelled hours before signing and the money was gone. The husband now believes the call came from a spoofed number using AI-assisted voice cloning; Tyler Adams of CertifID, which is working with the couple and federal officials, said someone's email in the transaction was probably compromised and that the scammers likely cloned the loan officer's voice from social-media clips. The sender's address had two extra letters ('UnitedsMortgages' instead of 'UnitedMortgage'). Neither the lender nor the loan officer is accused of complicity. The couple later completed the purchase in early June from their mutual fund, reported the loss to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, and describe lasting apprehension and have discussed delaying retirement. CNN reported the case on 15 September 2026; the account the money went to has since closed.","incidentDate":"2026-05-19","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"single_interaction","reportedDate":"2026-09-15","aiSystem":"Suspected AI voice cloning of a mortgage loan officer, combined with a spoofed phone number and a look-alike email domain (tool not identified; attribution by the victims and CertifID)","aiProduct":"Unidentified voice-cloning tool (suspected)","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"unverified","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss","psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A couple wired US$66,026.92, partly borrowed from family, to a fraudulent account after a spoofed email and a call in what sounded like their loan officer's voice; the money was not recovered as of CNN's report, their closing was cancelled and later completed from savings, and they describe lasting apprehension and have discussed working longer before retiring.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":2,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"CNN describes one married couple who wired the funds and bore the loss. Exact count of two.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"US","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/15/us/homebuyers-voice-cloning-scam","primarySourceLabel":"CNN, 15 Sep 2026: 'We both missed the signs:' How two homebuyers lost $66,000 in a suspected voice-cloning scam","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-20T03:19:50.137088+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:39.755493+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["voice-cloning","impersonation","wire-fraud","real-estate-scam","mortgage-closing","united-states","michigan","financial-loss","ic3"]},{"id":"2026-kazakhstan-deepfake-celebrity-trading-fraud-series","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"\"Только за последние полтора месяца по стране было зарегистрировано 119 таких фактов\"; \"создают дипфейк-видео со знаменитостями и фейковые ИИ-платформы, обещающие сверхвысокий пассивный доход\".","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"\"В Казахстане за последние полтора месяца зарегистрировали 119 случаев мошенничества под видом трейдинга с использованием дипфейков, сообщили в Генеральной прокуратуре\".","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"\"По информации Генпрокуратуры, только за последние полтора месяца по стране зарегистрировано 119 таких фактов\".","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"\"Только за последние полтора месяца в стране зарегистрировали 119 фактов мошенничества\".","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"The Prosecutor General's Office said that in the previous one and a half months 119 cases of fraud had been registered in Kazakhstan in a scheme that lures victims through social-media deepfake videos of celebrities and fake 'AI' investment platforms (named examples: 'Kaspi AI' with Mikhail Lomtadze, 'Quantum AI' with Elon Musk, 'TON' with Pavel Durov, 'people's investments' fronted by television news presenters).","causal_attribution":"Single official statement relayed by five outlets; the 119 figure is a count of registered cases, and the deepfake description is the office's characterisation of the scheme."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"\"В сентябре текущего года жительница Талдыкоргана обратилась с заявлением по факту мошенничества в особо крупном размере\"; \"перевела на счета 3-их лиц более 7 млн\"; \"По указанному факту проводится досудебное расследование\".","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"\"Одной из жертв мошенников стала жительница Талдыкоргана\"; \"Перечисленные ею деньги и якобы дивиденды отображались в фейковом кошельке, однако возможность их обналичить мошенники не предоставили. По указанному факту проводится досудебное расследование\".","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"\"Более 7 млн тенге перевела злоумышленникам жительница Талдыкоргана, поверив в рекламу о сверхприбыли от трейдинга\"; \"Вывести средства женщина не смогла\".","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"\"она перевела на счета третьих лиц более 7 млн тенге\".","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"In September 2026 a woman from Taldykorgan reported large-scale fraud: after an Instagram advertisement offering super-profits from share trading she left her details, was contacted by the fraudsters and on their instructions transferred more than 7 million tenge to third-party accounts; the money and supposed dividends showed in a fake wallet she could not cash out; a pre-trial investigation is under way.","causal_attribution":"The office's account of one registered case, given as an example of the scheme; whether the advertisement she saw was a deepfake video is not stated."}],"effects":[{"label":"a woman lost more than 7 million tenge; 119 registered cases of deepfake-fronted trading fraud in about six weeks","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://kazpravda.kz/n/dipfeyki-maska-durova-i-lomtadze-kazahstancev-obmanyvayut-pod-vidom-treydinga/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"ru","translation_note":"Read in Russian on 2026-09-19 (Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, Dana Amenova, 16 Sep 2026), citing the Prosecutor General's press service; quotations in this record are the reviewer's translations from the Russian body.","independence_group":"kz-prosecutor-general"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://informburo.kz/novosti/dipfeiki-ilona-maska-i-pavla-durova-119-slucaev-mosennicestva-s-treidingom-zaregistrirovali-v-kazaxstane","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"ru","translation_note":"Read in Russian on 2026-09-19 (Informburo.kz, 16 Sep 2026). Same Prosecutor General statement, with the office's quoted description of the Taldykorgan case.","independence_group":"kz-prosecutor-general"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://tengrinews.kz/kazakhstan_news/kazahstanka-lishilas-7-millionov-tenge-reklamyi-instagram-608643/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"ru","translation_note":"Read in Russian on 2026-09-19 (Tengrinews, 16 Sep 2026). Same statement; carries the office's quoted sentence on the fake wallet and the pre-trial investigation.","independence_group":"kz-prosecutor-general"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://kazlenta.kz/120453-moshennichestvo-pod-vidom-treydinga-genprokuratura-obratilas-k-kazahstancam.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"ru","translation_note":"Read in Russian on 2026-09-19 (Kazlenta.kz, 16 Sep 2026, the earliest report found). Same statement.","independence_group":"kz-prosecutor-general"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://kz.kursiv.media/2026-09-16/ezif-lomtadze-mask-i-durov-daryat-milliony-kak-kazahstancev-zamanivayut-v-lzheinvesticii/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"ru","translation_note":"Read in Russian on 2026-09-19 (Kursiv Media, 16 Sep 2026). Same statement.","independence_group":"kz-prosecutor-general"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["Whether the Instagram advertisement seen by the Taldykorgan woman was itself a deepfake video or a fake 'AI platform' page.","The number of victims and total losses across the 119 registered cases; the exact period ('the last one and a half months' before mid-September 2026).","Whether any suspects have been identified or funds recovered.","The Prosecutor General's original release text was not reached (gov.kz is JavaScript-only to this host); the record relies on five press relays of the press service."],"geography":{"basis":"Nationwide registrations in Kazakhstan per the Prosecutor General's Office; the identified victim lives in Taldykorgan (Zhetysu region). No court proceeding reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["KZ"],"affected_person_countries":["KZ"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an impersonation-fraud series with an official source: the Prosecutor General's Office reports 119 registered cases in about six weeks lured by deepfake celebrity videos and fake 'AI' platforms, and one identified anonymous victim who lost more than 7 million tenge. Five Russian-language bodies read, all relaying one official statement (claims reported); person count kept to the one identified victim plus unquantified others.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-19"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The Prosecutor General's Office describes the scheme's lure as deepfake videos of celebrities and fake 'AI' platforms placed on social networks; no technical verification is published, and the statement does not say whether the Taldykorgan woman's Instagram advertisement was itself a deepfake. The AI artifacts depicted and impersonated public figures; the victims' dealings were with human fraudsters.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Kazakhstan: the Prosecutor General's Office reported 119 trading-fraud cases registered in about six weeks, lured by deepfake videos of Elon Musk, Pavel Durov and other public figures and fake 'AI' platforms; a Taldykorgan woman transferred more than 7 million tenge","summary":"On 16 September 2026 the Prosecutor General's Office of Kazakhstan warned of an investment-fraud scheme in which criminals advertise non-existent projects on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and other platforms using deepfake videos of well-known people and fake 'AI' investment platforms promising very high passive income: 'Kaspi AI' with Mikhail Lomtadze, 'Quantum AI' with Elon Musk, 'TON' with Pavel Durov, and 'people's investments' in KazMunayGas or Gazprom fronted by news presenters from Khabar 24, KTK and Channel One. The office said 119 such cases had been registered across the country in the previous one and a half months. Its example: in September 2026 a woman from Taldykorgan saw an Instagram advertisement offering high returns from share trading, left her details through the link, was contacted by the fraudsters and, following their instructions, transferred more than 7 million tenge to third-party accounts; the money and supposed dividends appeared in a fake wallet that she could not withdraw from. A pre-trial investigation is under way. The office urged people not to trust guaranteed-return offers or transfer money to strangers.","incidentDate":"2026-08-01","incidentEndDate":"2026-09-16","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-09-16","aiSystem":"Deepfake videos of public figures (Elon Musk, Pavel Durov, Mikhail Lomtadze, television news presenters) and fake 'AI' investment platforms ('Quantum AI', 'Kaspi AI'); generation tools not identified","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"unverified","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A woman in Taldykorgan transferred more than 7 million tenge to fraudsters after an Instagram trading advertisement and could not withdraw the supposed returns; the Prosecutor General's Office registered 119 such fraud cases nationwide in about six weeks, in a scheme whose lure is deepfake celebrity videos and fake 'AI' platforms.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"partial","affectedCountEvidence":"One identified victim (the Taldykorgan woman, more than 7 million tenge). The 119 figure counts registered fraud cases ('фактов'), not people, so the remaining victims are unquantified. One counted plus unquantified others: partial.","victimAgeRange":"unknown","jurisdiction":"KZ","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://kazpravda.kz/n/dipfeyki-maska-durova-i-lomtadze-kazahstancev-obmanyvayut-pod-vidom-treydinga/","primarySourceLabel":"Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, 16 Sep 2026: Deepfakes of Musk, Durov and Lomtadze: Kazakhstanis defrauded under the guise of trading (Prosecutor General's Office statement)","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-20T03:19:45.310788+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:42.622034+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","celebrity-impersonation","investment-fraud","trading-scam","fake-ai-platform","kazakhstan","prosecutor-general","financial-loss","instagram"]},{"id":"2026-solo-semarang-ex-boyfriend-ai-deepfake-porn","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Pelaku ini mengedit wajahnya dari korban yang kemudian itu dipasangkan dengan badan seseorang dengan menggunakan AI yang wajahnya asli korban' (the perpetrator edited the victim's face and attached it to someone's body using AI, the face being the victim's real face); 'Konten hasil rekayasa kemudian diunggah pelaku melalui platform X. Polisi memastikan materi itu tidak diperjualbelikan' (the fabricated content was then uploaded by the perpetrator on X; police confirmed it was not sold).","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Wajah korban ditempelkan pada tubuh perempuan lain dalam kondisi tanpa busana sehingga seolah-olah korban tampil dalam konten pornografi' (the victim's face was attached to another woman's unclothed body so that the victim appeared in pornographic content).","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Yang diedit itu wajah korban. Kemudian dipasang pada tubuh orang lain sehingga seolah-olah itu korban, fotonya telanjang bulat, ditemukan di Instagram dan Telegram' (what was edited was the victim's face, then placed on someone else's body so it looked like the victim, fully naked, found on Instagram and Telegram); 'terdapat pula video berbau pornografi dengan wajah korban yang diduga merupakan hasil editan AI' (there was also a pornographic video with the victim's face believed to be an AI edit).","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"The complainant's face was composited with AI onto another woman's naked body in images and a pornographic video; the suspect uploaded the content to his X account and did not sell it, and the complainant's lawyer said the material was found on Instagram and Telegram.","causal_attribution":"Police statement of 6 August 2026 (based on the investigation and the suspect's admission) and the complainant's lawyer (based on the material found); the two accounts differ on where the material was found. Recorded as reported (not corroborated) because the pornographic video (lawyer chain only) and the X upload / no-sale detail (police chain only) rest on single chains; the 28 January complaint and the 4 August detention are carried by both chains."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Korban mengetahui hal tersebut pada 1 Januari 2026. Pihak korban pun telah melapor ke Polda Jateng dengan nomor aduan STPA/182/I/2026/Ditressiber' (the victim learned of it on 1 January 2026; the victim's side reported to the Central Java police under complaint number STPA/182/I/2026/Ditressiber).","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'Perkara ini bermula ketika seorang perempuan mendatangi Polda Jawa Tengah pada 28 Januari 2026' (the case began when a woman came to the Central Java regional police on 28 January 2026); 'Polda Jawa Tengah menerbitkan laporan polisi pada 31 Juli 2026' (the regional police issued the police report on 31 July 2026); 'ditangkap di tempat kosnya di kawasan Gunungpati, Semarang. Penyidik Polda Jawa Tengah kemudian menahannya di Rutan Polda Jawa Tengah sejak Selasa (4/8/2026)' (arrested at his boarding house in the Gunungpati area of Semarang; investigators then detained him at the regional police detention centre from Tuesday 4 August 2026).","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'dijerat dengan Pasal 51 juncto Pasal 35 Undang-Undang Nomor 11 Tahun 2008 tentang Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik (ITE) serta Pasal 407 Undang-Undang Nomor 1 Tahun 2026' (charged under Article 51 in conjunction with Article 35 of Law 11 of 2008 on Electronic Information and Transactions and Article 407 of Law No. 1 of 2026); 'ancaman hukuman maksimal adalah 12 tahun penjara dan denda paling banyak Rp12 miliar' (the maximum penalty is 12 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to Rp12 billion).","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'korban telah melaporkan kasus tersebut ke Polda Jawa Tengah sejak 28 Januari 2026' (the victim reported the case to the Central Java regional police on 28 January 2026); 'penyidik akhirnya menetapkan tersangka dan melakukan penahanan terhadap pelaku pada 4 Agustus 2026' (investigators finally named the suspect and detained him on 4 August 2026).","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"The complainant learned of the material on 1 January 2026; she and her family reported to the Central Java regional police cyber directorate on 28 January 2026; police issued a formal report on 31 July, arrested the suspect at a boarding house in Gunungpati, Semarang, and detained him on 4 August 2026; he is charged under Articles 51 and 35 of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law and an article printed as Article 407 of 'Law No. 1 of 2026', with a maximum of 12 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to Rp12 billion.","causal_attribution":"Dates from the police statement and the complainant's lawyer agree on the 28 January complaint and 4 August detention; the discovery date comes from the lawyer alone. Recorded as reported (not corroborated) because the 1 January discovery date (lawyer only), the 31 July formal report (police only) and the statute text rest on single chains; the 28 January complaint and the 4 August detention are carried by both chains."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'pelaku nekat membuat konten deepfake AI porno diduga karena sakit hati setelah hubungan asmara antara dirinya dan korban berakhir secara putus-nyambung' (the perpetrator made the pornographic AI deepfake content allegedly out of hurt after his on-and-off romantic relationship with the victim ended).","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'sempat memergoki ... sedang melakukan panggilan telepon video dengan perempuan lain. Hal itu memicu kemarahan' (she had caught him on a video call with another woman, which triggered her anger).","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"Police said the suspect admitted acting out of resentment after an on-and-off relationship with the complainant ended; her lawyer said she ended the relationship after finding him on a video call with another woman.","causal_attribution":"Motive as stated by the police spokesman from the suspect's admission and by the complainant's lawyer."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Iya sempat psikologisnya terkena, susah tidur, murung, malu. Dia tahu gambar-gambar itu kan dari teman-teman ceweknya. Malu dan drop' (yes, she was affected psychologically, could not sleep, was withdrawn, ashamed; she learned of the images from her female friends; ashamed and down); 'sempat stres, sempat murung dan sudah tidak ada harapan lagi waktu itu' (she was stressed, withdrawn and had no hope at that time); 'Kuasa hukum korban meminta Dinas Pemberdayaan Perempuan dan Perlindungan Anak memberikan pendampingan psikologis secara intensif' (the victim's lawyer asked the women's empowerment and child protection office to provide intensive psychological support).","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'Stresnya setengah mati, enggak bisa tidur. Nangis dia, murung sekali' (she was extremely stressed, could not sleep, cried, was very withdrawn).","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"According to her lawyer, the complainant had trouble sleeping, was withdrawn and ashamed, cried, at one point had no hope, and has since recovered some spirit; he asked the local women's and children's protection office for intensive psychological support.","causal_attribution":"Interested-party account: the complainant's lawyer in two interviews on 7 August 2026; no clinical source."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'penelusuran tim kuasa hukum menemukan total tujuh orang yang diduga menjadi korban manipulasi konten pornografi berbasis AI oleh tersangka. Namun, enam korban lainnya belum membuat laporan resmi' (the legal team's tracing found seven people in total allegedly victims of AI pornographic manipulation by the suspect, but the other six had not filed formal reports); 'Keluarga pelaku itu minta supaya berdamai' (the perpetrator's family asked for a settlement).","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'Sementara ini korban yang terkonfirmasi baru satu orang, yaitu pelapor' (for now only one victim is confirmed, the complainant).","relation":"context","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The lawyer said his team had found seven women in total allegedly targeted by the suspect, six of whom had not filed reports, and that the suspect's parents apologised and asked for an out-of-court settlement so he could continue his studies; police said only one complainant was confirmed.","causal_attribution":"The seven-woman figure and the settlement approach are the lawyer's account; police confirmed one complainant."}],"effects":[{"label":"her face was composited with AI onto pornographic images and a video that were posted on X and found on Instagram and Telegram","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"},{"label":"sleeplessness, withdrawal, shame and loss of hope reported by her lawyer during the nearly seven-month investigation","claim_id":"c4","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://regional.kompas.com/read/2026/08/07/133400678/motif-mahasiswa-semarang-bikin-deepfake-ai-wajah-mantan-terancam-12-tahun","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"id","translation_note":"Read in Indonesian on 2026-09-19 (Kompas.com regional, published 2026-08-07 13:34 +07:00). Central Java police spokesman's written statement received on 6 August 2026. Model reading of the original; English glosses are the reviewer's.","independence_group":"polda-jateng-statement-2026-08-06"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://kumparan.com/kumparannews/mahasiswa-di-semarang-edit-foto-mantan-pacar-jadi-konten-porno-berakhir-dibui-27vvfyraEgL","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"id","translation_note":"Read in Indonesian on 2026-09-19 (kumparan, published 2026-08-06 09:14 UTC). Same police spokesman at the 6 August briefing; adds the statutes and the one-complainant confirmation.","independence_group":"polda-jateng-statement-2026-08-06"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://news.detik.com/berita/d-8593323/mahasiswi-di-solo-jadi-objek-deepfake-ai-porno-korban-lapor-polisi","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"id","translation_note":"Read in Indonesian on 2026-09-19 (detikcom citing detikJateng, published 2026-07-28 10:29 +07:00; the lawyer's remarks are dated Monday 27 July 2026). Complainant's lawyer; police spokesman said he was checking. Predates the arrest.","independence_group":"complainant-lawyer"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://indonesiaonline.co.id/deepfake-porno-di-solo-trauma-korban-dan-lambannya-proses-hukum/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"id","translation_note":"Read in Indonesian on 2026-09-19 (indonesiaonline.co.id, published 2026-08-08 10:32 +07:00). Feature built on a phone interview with the complainant's lawyer on 7 August 2026.","independence_group":"complainant-lawyer"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://rejogja.republika.co.id/berita/tjglkl282/dendam-diputusin-mahasiswa-semarang-edit-wajah-mantan-pacar-pakai-ai-jadi-konten-porno","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"id","translation_note":"Read in Indonesian on 2026-09-19 (Republika Jogja, published 2026-08-08 23:24 +07:00). Interview with the complainant's lawyer on 7 August 2026 on the relationship history and her reaction.","independence_group":"complainant-lawyer"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://indoraya.news/keluarga-korban-desak-hukuman-maksimal-untuk-pelaku-deepfake-porno-mahasiswi-uns","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"id","translation_note":"Read in Indonesian on 2026-09-19 (Indoraya News, published 2026-08-06 22:28 +07:00). Complainant's lawyer at the regional police lobby on 6 August 2026; restates the statutes.","independence_group":"complainant-lawyer"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["relationships","privacy","justice","education"],"unknowns":["Whether the six other women named by the lawyer exist as complainants; police had confirmed one complainant as of 6 August 2026.","The statute printed by kumparan and Indoraya as 'Undang-Undang Nomor 1 Tahun 2026' is recorded as printed; it may be a misprint for the 2023 Criminal Code (Law No. 1 of 2023), whose Article 407 concerns pornography. Not verified.","The identity of the woman whose body appears in the composites is unknown to police.","No indictment, court filing or trial date had been reported by 2026-09-19.","The AI tool used is not identified.","When the content was created and uploaded is not reported; 1 January 2026 is the date the complainant learned of it from friends."],"geography":{"basis":"The complainant studies in Solo and the suspect was arrested in Semarang, both in Central Java, Indonesia; the case is held by the Central Java regional police. No court proceeding has begun, so court_countries is empty.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["ID"],"affected_person_countries":["ID"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact case with a criminal investigation: AI-composited pornographic images and video of a named-by-initial student, posted online by an ex-partner who was detained after seven months. Six Indonesian items read from two account chains (police statement and the complainant's lawyer). The complainant and suspect appear only by initials in the sources and are not identified here; the lawyer is not named; one cited URL identifies the complainant's university.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-19"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The Central Java police spokesman said the suspect edited the complainant's face onto another person's body using AI ('menggunakan AI'); her lawyer described the material as AI manipulation. No forensic report was inspected and the tool is not named.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Solo and Semarang, Indonesia: a university student's face was composited with AI onto pornographic images and a video by her ex-boyfriend and posted online; the suspect was detained after a nearly seven-month investigation","summary":"A female student at a state university in Solo (Surakarta), Central Java, learned on 1 January 2026 from friends that her face had been composited onto pornographic images and a video, which her lawyer said were found on Instagram and Telegram. Her family reported the case to the Central Java regional police cyber directorate on 28 January 2026. Police issued a formal police report on 31 July, arrested her ex-boyfriend, a university student in Semarang, at his boarding house in Gunungpati on 4 August 2026, and detained him. The police spokesman said the suspect used AI to place the complainant's face on another woman's naked body so that she appeared in pornographic content, uploaded it to his X account, did not sell it, and acted out of resentment after an on-and-off relationship ended. He faces charges under Articles 51 and 35 of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law and an article printed by two outlets as 'Law No. 1 of 2026', with a maximum of 12 years' imprisonment. Her lawyer said she could not sleep, withdrew, felt shame and at one point lost hope, that his team had found seven women in total allegedly targeted of whom six had not reported, and that the suspect's parents asked for an out-of-court settlement; police said only one complainant was confirmed.","incidentDate":"2026-01-01","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-07-28","aiSystem":"AI face-composite tool used to place the complainant's face on pornographic images and a video (tool not identified); content posted on X and found on Instagram and Telegram","aiProduct":"Unidentified image and video tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse","psychological_distress","reputational_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"AI-composited pornographic images and a video of the complainant were posted online; her lawyer reported sleeplessness, withdrawal, shame and loss of hope during the seven months before a suspect was named.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"documented_minimum","affectedCountEvidence":"One complainant confirmed by police ('korban yang terkonfirmasi baru satu orang, yaitu pelapor'). Her lawyer says his team found seven women in total, six of whom have not reported; that figure is an interested party's count and is not added.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"ID","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://regional.kompas.com/read/2026/08/07/133400678/motif-mahasiswa-semarang-bikin-deepfake-ai-wajah-mantan-terancam-12-tahun","primarySourceLabel":"Kompas.com, 7 August 2026: Motif Mahasiswa Semarang Bikin Deepfake AI Wajah Mantan, Terancam 12 Tahun Penjara (Central Java police statement)","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-20T03:19:38.26217+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:53.636775+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","ncii","ex-partner","university","indonesia","central-java","criminal-investigation","depicted-or-impersonated","image-based-abuse"]},{"id":"2026-attica-nea-ionia-ai-voice-clone-relative-fraud-ring","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Ιδιαίτερο χαρακτηριστικό της δράσης της εγκληματικής οργάνωσης αποτελούσε η χρήση εργαλείων τεχνητής νοημοσύνης (A.I.) για την κλωνοποίηση της φωνής συγγενικού προσώπου του υποψήφιου θύματος'; 'Κατά τη διάρκεια της σύντομης συνομιλίας αποκτούσαν δείγμα της φωνής του και, με τη χρήση εργαλείου τεχνητής νοημοσύνης, προέβαιναν στην κλωνοποίηση'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'επικοινωνούσαν τηλεφωνικά με τα υποψήφια θύματα και τα έπειθαν να προβούν σε συγκεκριμένες ενέργειες'; 'κυρίως για θέματα που αφορούν την εγκατάσταση οπτικής ίνας'; 'αναπαράγοντας μέσω της τεχνολογίας κλωνοποίησης τη φωνή του συγγενικού ή οικείου του προσώπου'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The organisation used an AI tool to clone the voice of a relative of the intended victim, obtained from a pretext call, and played the cloned voice to the victim to confirm the fraudsters' instructions during fake fibre-installation or utility scenarios.","causal_attribution":"Hellenic Police statement; single official chain."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'συνελήφθησαν -2- από τα μέλη της οργάνωσης, τη στιγμή που μόλις είχαν αφαιρέσει από οικία θύματος, τιμαλφή αξίας -30.000- ευρώ'; 'Πρόκειται για έναν 23χρονο και έναν 25χρονο'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'συνελήφθησαν δύο από τα μέλη της οργάνωσης, τη στιγμή που μόλις είχαν αφαιρέσει από οικία θύματος, τιμαλφή αξίας 30.000 ευρώ'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Two members aged 23 and 25 were arrested in Nea Ionia, Attica, immediately after removing valuables worth €30,000 from a victim's home.","causal_attribution":"Police account of the arrest; the loss is attributed to the ring."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Μέχρι στιγμής έχει πιστοποιηθεί η εμπλοκή των μελών της οργάνωσης σε επιπλέον -5- περιπτώσεις με παρόμοια μεθοδολογία'; 'με όφελος άνω των -120.000- ευρώ, περιλαμβάνονται ακόμη -4- άτομα'; 'το παράνομο περιουσιακό όφελος από τη δράση της εγκληματικής οργάνωσης ξεπερνά το -1.000.000- ευρώ'; 'τουλάχιστον από τις αρχές Ιουλίου 2026'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Μέχρι στιγμής έχουν διακριβωθεί ακόμη πέντε περιπτώσεις με παρόμοια μεθοδολογία'; 'Το παράνομο περιουσιακό όφελος που αποδίδεται στη δράση της ομάδας εκτιμάται ότι ξεπερνά το 1 εκατομμύριο ευρώ'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Police have confirmed the group's involvement in at least five further cases with the same method, document proceeds above €120,000 in the case file, which names four further people, and estimate total illicit gains above €1 million; the group operated since at least early July 2026.","causal_attribution":"Police figures; the €1 million is an estimate and is not used as a loss count."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Οι συλληφθέντες οδηγήθηκαν στον αρμόδιο Εισαγγελέα και παραπέμφθηκαν στον Ανακριτή'; 'κατασχέθηκαν ένα όχημα Δημόσιας Χρήσης και -2- συσκευές κινητής τηλεφωνίας'; 'κλοπή οχήματος που τελέστηκε στις 14/9/2026'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The two arrested were brought before the prosecutor and referred to an investigating judge; a taxi and two mobile phones were seized and a vehicle stolen on 14 September 2026 was attributed to the group.","causal_attribution":"Police statement."}],"effects":[{"label":"a victim's valuables worth €30,000 were taken after calls in which a cloned relative's voice confirmed the fraudsters' instructions; police confirm at least five further victims","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://tvstar.gr/2026/09/18/klonopoious","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"el","translation_note":"Read in Greek on 2026-09-19; the second half of the article reproduces the Hellenic Police announcement verbatim. Quotations translated by the reviewer.","independence_group":"hellenic-police-release"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.in.gr/2026/09/18/greece/egklimatiki-organosi-eksapatouse-klonopoiontas-fones-syggenikon-prosopon-ton-thymaton-leia-ano-tou-1-ekat-eyro/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"el","translation_note":"Read in Greek on 2026-09-19; carries the police announcement text ('Σύμφωνα με την ΕΛ.ΑΣ.').","independence_group":"hellenic-police-release"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://indicator.gr/i-nea-ai-apati-mama-eimai-ego-klonopoioyn","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"el","translation_note":"Read in Greek on 2026-09-19; a rewritten account of the same police announcement ('σύμφωνα με τις πληροφορίες', 'σύμφωνα με την ΕΛ.ΑΣ.'), grouped with it.","independence_group":"hellenic-police-release"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["The AI voice-cloning tool is not identified and no recording of a cloned call has been published.","The number of people harmed in the five further cases, their losses, and whether any money was recovered are not stated.","The date of the arrests is not given (the release is dated 18 September 2026).","The Hellenic Police release page itself could not be fetched (astynomia.gr 403); its text is taken from full reproductions.","Names and ages of the victims and of the cloned relatives are not published."],"geography":{"basis":"Arrests in Nea Ionia, Attica, at a victim's home; the police describe an Attica-based operation; the arrested were brought before the competent prosecutor and referred to an investigating judge (Hellenic Police release as reproduced by tvstar.gr and in.gr).","court_countries":["GR"],"event_countries":["GR"],"affected_person_countries":["GR"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an impersonation-fraud series with a police-documented loss to an identified (unnamed) victim and at least five further confirmed victims, where the police describe AI voice cloning as the method of persuasion. Three Greek reports read, all relaying one Hellenic Police release; claims recorded as reported. Victims and relatives unnamed; suspects identified only by age.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-19"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The Hellenic Police announcement states that the organisation used artificial-intelligence tools to clone the voice of a relative of the intended victim from a sample obtained in a pretext call, and played the cloned voice to the victim to confirm the fraudsters' instructions. The cloned voice impersonated the relative and was used to speak to the victim, which is why both relations are recorded. The tool is not identified and no recording has been published; all inspected accounts relay the police release.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["communicated_with","depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Attica, Greece: a fraud ring cloned relatives' voices with AI to 'confirm' fake fibre-installation instructions; two collectors arrested in Nea Ionia with €30,000 of a victim's valuables, at least six cases since July 2026","summary":"On 18 September 2026 the Hellenic Police announced that its Organised Crime Directorate had dismantled a criminal organisation, active since at least early July 2026, whose members defrauded and robbed residents of Attica by posing on the phone as staff of the electricity distributor ΔΕΔΔΗΕ, mobile operators or fibre-optic installers. When a target hesitated, the callers asked for a relative's phone number, called that relative under a mobile-operator pretext to obtain a voice sample, cloned the voice with an AI tool and then played the cloned voice to the target to 'confirm' the instructions. Two men aged 23 and 25, described as the ring's 'collectors', were arrested in Nea Ionia just after removing valuables worth €30,000 from a victim's home; the case file, covering criminal organisation, fraud and aggravated theft with proceeds above €120,000, names four more people. Police have so far confirmed at least five further cases with the same method and estimate the group's total proceeds above €1 million. The two arrested were brought before the prosecutor and referred to an investigating judge.","incidentDate":"2026-07-01","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"single_interaction","reportedDate":"2026-09-18","aiSystem":"AI voice-cloning tool (not identified by police)","aiProduct":"Unidentified voice-cloning tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A victim lost valuables worth €30,000 to collectors who arrived after calls in which a cloned relative's voice confirmed the fraudsters' instructions; police confirm at least five further victims of the same method and document proceeds above €120,000. The police attribute the persuasion to AI voice cloning; the losses are attributed to the ring.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"partial","affectedCountEvidence":"The police release describes one victim from whose home valuables worth €30,000 had just been removed when the arrests took place, and 'at least five further cases with a similar methodology' without saying how many people each involved. One counted person plus additional unquantified victims (partial). The €120,000 in the case file and the estimated €1 million in proceeds are not person counts.","victimAgeRange":"unknown","jurisdiction":"GR","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://tvstar.gr/2026/09/18/klonopoious","primarySourceLabel":"tvstar.gr (STAR Κεντρικής Ελλάδας), 18 September 2026: Κλωνοποιούσαν με Τεχνητή Νοημοσύνη τις φωνές συγγενών για να πείθουν τα θύματά τους (reproduces the Hellenic Police release in full)","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-19T03:12:18.18414+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:24.97495+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["voice-cloning","impersonation","phone-fraud","greece","attica","police-operation","financial-loss","organised-crime"]},{"id":"2026-singapore-deepfake-zoom-pm-impersonation-funding-scam","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'A person lost at least $4.9 million after falling for a scam involving the impersonation of senior government officials'; 'received a WhatsApp message with a profile photo of Mr Wong Hong Kuan'; 'transferred the money through a series of transactions to a corporate bank account supplied by the scammers'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'He lost at least $4.9 million after believing that Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had sought his help'; 'the email was sent from a Proton Mail account'; 'invited to a Zoom video conference ... fabricated using deepfake artificial intelligence technology'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'In one case, a victim lost at least S$4.9 million (US$3.8 million) in what was claimed to be funding assistance related to the Strait of Hormuz'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"A businessman lost at least S$4.9 million after being approached by scammers posing as the Secretary to the Cabinet, signing an NDA, receiving a fake letter of guarantee with the Prime Minister's signature, attending a deepfake Zoom conference of government officials, and then transferring money in a series of transactions to a corporate account.","causal_attribution":"Singapore Police Force advisory relayed by three outlets; single official chain."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'the speech did not synchronise with the speakers' lips'; 'the speech was broadcast via one account throughout the call'; 'end with a deepfake video of PM Wong delivering closing remarks, which included an acknowledgement of the victim's attendance'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Police obtained the footage of the fabricated Zoom conference depicting the Prime Minister, the President, Minister Indranee Rajah, MAS representatives and foreign officials, and identified deepfake indicators: speech out of sync with lips, audio broadcast from one account, and a distorted background and Zoom logo; the fake Prime Minister's closing remarks acknowledged the victim's attendance.","causal_attribution":"Police statement on their own examination of the footage, reported by CNA."}],"effects":[{"label":"a businessman lost at least S$4.9 million after a deepfake video conference of government officials and a fake letter of guarantee","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/impersonation-scam-fake-zoom-meeting-footage-lawrence-wong-tharman-indranee-police-6125691","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-09-18 (CNA, 16 May 2026). Reports the police release of the fabricated Zoom footage, the participants depicted and the deepfake indicators.","independence_group":"spf-advisory"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/victim-loses-at-least-4-9m-in-scam-involving-deepfakes-of-pm-wong-government-officials","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-09-18 (Straits Times, 14 May 2026). Reports the SPF advisory: WhatsApp and proton.me approach, NDA, letter of guarantee, Zoom call, transfers, and the 9 May SIM-card charges.","independence_group":"spf-advisory"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/police-spf-advisory-government-official-impersonation-scam-pm-lawrence-wong-funding-assistance-hormuz-49-million","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-09-18 (AsiaOne, 13/14 May 2026). Same SPF advisory with screenshots of the WhatsApp and email approach.","independence_group":"spf-advisory"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance","public_services"],"unknowns":["The victim's identity, business and the exact date of the transfers are not published (advisory 14 May 2026).","No arrest for this loss or recovery of funds is reported.","The deepfake tools used are not identified.","Whether the victim has pursued civil recovery is unknown."],"geography":{"basis":"Singapore Police Force advisory; the victim is described as a Singapore business professional who had dealt with government officials (Straits Times, CNA). No court proceeding for this loss is reported; the 9 May SIM-card charges concern earlier cases.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["SG"],"affected_person_countries":["SG"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an impersonation-fraud case with a large documented loss to one person, where the police examined and released the AI-generated footage. Three Singapore outlets read, all relaying SPF advisories; claims recorded as reported. Victim unnamed; impersonated officials are public figures.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-18"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The Singapore Police Force obtained the Zoom footage and described specific deepfake indicators (speech out of sync with lips, audio broadcast from a single account, distorted background and logo). The AI content depicted and impersonated named officials, and the fabricated closing remarks were addressed to the victim, acknowledging his attendance, which is why communicated_with is also recorded.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["communicated_with","depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Singapore: a businessman lost at least S$4.9 million after a deepfake Zoom 'briefing' with fabricated Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and other officials asked him for 'urgent funding assistance'","summary":"In May 2026 the Singapore Police Force (SPF) reported that a man had lost at least S$4.9 million (about US$3.8 million) to a government-official impersonation scam. He received a WhatsApp message carrying the profile photo of Secretary to the Cabinet Wong Hong Kuan and an email from a proton.me address in that name, requesting urgent funding assistance for 'the situation in the Strait of Hormuz', with a fake 'letter of guarantee' bearing the Prime Minister's signature promising reimbursement within 15 business days; he signed a non-disclosure agreement and supplied a copy of his identity card. He was then invited to a Zoom video conference in which Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister Indranee Rajah, Monetary Authority of Singapore representatives and foreign officials appeared; all were fabricated with deepfake AI, and the closing 'remarks' by the fake Prime Minister acknowledged the victim's attendance. Contacted afterwards on WhatsApp by a scammer posing as a lawyer, he transferred the money in a series of transactions to a corporate bank account, and realised the fraud only when he contacted the real cabinet secretary. On 16 May the police released footage of the fake conference, noting lips out of sync with speech, audio broadcast from a single account and a distorted background.","incidentDate":"2026-05-01","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"single_interaction","reportedDate":"2026-05-14","aiSystem":"Deepfake AI video and audio fabricating Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister Indranee Rajah and other officials in a Zoom conference (tools not identified)","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A businessman transferred at least S$4.9 million to scammers after a deepfake video conference fabricating the Prime Minister and other officials; the police documented the AI-generated footage.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"Police describe a single victim who lost at least S$4.9 million. Exact count of one; the impersonated officials are not counted.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"SG","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/victim-loses-at-least-4-9m-in-scam-involving-deepfakes-of-pm-wong-government-officials","primarySourceLabel":"The Straits Times, 14 May 2026: Victim loses at least $4.9m in scam involving deepfakes of PM Wong, government officials (Singapore Police Force advisory)","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-18T03:25:14.306192+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:53.419086+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","government-impersonation","zoom","video-conference","fraud","singapore","financial-loss","police-documented"]},{"id":"2026-tamil-nadu-cm-vijay-deepfake-financial-aid-fraud","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'deepfake videos in which Vijay was shown speaking in Hindi and asking people to contact a WhatsApp number'; 'arrested on September 12 and handed over to Tamil Nadu Police'; 'A case was registered in Tamil Nadu on Sept 1'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'an AI-generated version of Vijay speaking in a fabricated Hindi voice'; 'arrested on September 12 in Alwar district'; 'registered a case on September 1'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"AI-generated videos showing a simulated Chief Minister Vijay with a Hindi voice-over asked viewers to contact a WhatsApp number for financial aid; the CB-CID registered a case on 1 September 2026 and on 12 September a 28-year-old Alwar man was arrested and remanded in Tamil Nadu.","causal_attribution":"Reported by the Rajasthan police side (TOI) and the Tamil Nadu CB-CID side (India Today) independently."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'used to cheat several people in Madhya Pradesh and other states'; 'The CBCID also traced a man in Madhya Pradesh who had lost money in the fraud'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'the scam had already claimed victims in Madhya Pradesh and other states'; 'statements from a victim in Madhya Pradesh'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'attempts were made to cheat people in several states, including Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"People in Madhya Pradesh and other states lost money to the scheme; the CB-CID traced a Madhya Pradesh man who lost money and recorded his statement.","causal_attribution":"Police account; TOI's Rajasthan-side wording ('attempts were made to cheat') is weaker than the CB-CID's ('lost money'), so the claim is recorded as reported."}],"effects":[{"label":"people in Madhya Pradesh and other states lost money to deepfake 'financial assistance' videos of the Chief Minister; one victim documented","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/raj-man-held-for-ai-deepfake-fraud-using-tamil-nadu-cm-vijays-videos/articleshow/134294900.cms","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-09-18 (Times of India, Jaipur, 16 Sep 2026). Rajasthan-side account with Alwar SP and Lakshmangarh station quotations.","independence_group":"toi-jaipur"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/cm-vijay-ai-deepfake-scam-tamil-nadu-cbcid-arrests-rajasthan-man-2994535-2026-09-14","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-09-18 (India Today, 14 Sep 2026). CB-CID account including the Madhya Pradesh victim and the Pakistan-linked accounts.","independence_group":"cbcid-release"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.newspointapp.com/english/top-news/rajasthan-man-held-for-circulating-deepfake-video-of-tn-cm-udayavani/articleshow/1450482066292b26f3fe72876b1dda49906109bd","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-09-18 via the MSN content API copy (Udayavani/PTI, 15 Sep 2026). Official-release account; same chain as the CB-CID statement.","independence_group":"cbcid-release"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance","everyday_life","justice"],"unknowns":["The number of defrauded people and the amounts lost are not published.","When the videos began circulating is not stated; the case was registered on 1 September.","Whether the accused acted alone and who operates the Pakistan-linked accounts remain under investigation.","The AI tools used are not identified."],"geography":{"basis":"Case registered by the Tamil Nadu CB-CID; arrest in Alwar district, Rajasthan; victims traced in Madhya Pradesh (India Today, TOI). Remand in Tamil Nadu.","court_countries":["IN"],"event_countries":["IN"],"affected_person_countries":["IN"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an impersonation-fraud case with a documented human consequence: a public figure's likeness and voice were fabricated to solicit money and at least one identified victim lost money, with an arrest and remand. Three sources read across two independent reporting chains; defrauded people unnamed; the accused is not named here because outlets spell his name inconsistently.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-18"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Police describe AI-generated videos with a simulated likeness of the Chief Minister and a fabricated Hindi voice; no forensic detail is published. The AI artifact depicted and impersonated a public figure; the defrauded people dealt with the fraudsters over WhatsApp.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"India: AI deepfake videos of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay offering 'financial assistance' were used to defraud people in Madhya Pradesh and other states; a Rajasthan man was arrested","summary":"In 2026 AI-generated videos showing a simulated Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay speaking in a fabricated Hindi voice circulated on Facebook and other platforms, urging viewers to contact a WhatsApp number to receive money for education, medical treatment and other needs. The Tamil Nadu Crime Branch-CID detected the videos during routine monitoring, registered a case on 1 September 2026 under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, and traced the scheme to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. On 12 September a 28-year-old man from Alwar district was arrested with Rajasthan Police, brought to Tamil Nadu on a transit warrant and remanded in judicial custody; a phone, SIM cards and a CPU were seized. Investigators traced a man in Madhya Pradesh who had lost money, and said people in several states were cheated. The CB-CID is also examining similar videos posted from Facebook accounts suspected to be run from Pakistan.","incidentDate":"2026-09-01","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-09-14","aiSystem":"AI deepfake video and synthetic Hindi voice-over of Chief Minister Vijay (tools not named)","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss","reputational_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"People in Madhya Pradesh and other states lost money after responding to AI deepfake videos of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister promising financial help; the Chief Minister's likeness and voice were fabricated for the fraud. One victim's loss is documented through his police statement; the number and amounts are not published.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"partial","affectedCountEvidence":"The CB-CID traced one man in Madhya Pradesh who lost money and gave a statement (India Today; Newspoint/PTI); police say people in 'several states' were cheated without a count. One counted plus unquantified others: partial. The Chief Minister is not counted as a harmed person.","victimAgeRange":"unknown","jurisdiction":"IN","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/cm-vijay-ai-deepfake-scam-tamil-nadu-cbcid-arrests-rajasthan-man-2994535-2026-09-14","primarySourceLabel":"India Today, 14 Sep 2026: Pak-linked accounts spread CM Vijay's deepfakes to dupe people; one arrested (Tamil Nadu CB-CID account)","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-18T03:25:10.709351+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:56.068616+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","voice-clone","public-figure-impersonation","fraud","india","tamil-nadu","rajasthan","madhya-pradesh","facebook","whatsapp"]},{"id":"2026-manhattan-da-deepfake-ncii-site-seizure","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"'seizure of 12 domain names of illegal websites'; 'turn pre-existing photos and videos of approximately 1,200 real people into what appear to be hyper-realistic images and videos of those individuals engaging in sexual conduct'; 'overwhelmingly women and primarily public-facing individuals'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'the seizure of 12 domains'; 'Around 1,200 people—overwhelmingly women—were depicted in nonconsensual sexual images and videos on the websites'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The Manhattan DA seized 12 domains used to disseminate, publish and sell non-consensual AI-generated sexual deepfakes of approximately 1,200 real people, overwhelmingly women, including actors, politicians, athletes, musicians, activists and influencers.","causal_attribution":"Directly established by the DA's press release; corroborated by WIRED's independent reporting."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'many videos appeared to be reposts of content that had originally be[en] shared on the MrDeepFakes website'; 'On at least two of the seized websites, elected officials were given profiles'; '56 European politicians... 16 US politicians and two based in the UK'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Many videos reposted content from the defunct MrDeepFakes platform, and dozens of politicians appeared on the sites (56 European, 16 US and two UK-based figures per the American Sunlight Project), some with profiles containing their names and positions.","causal_attribution":"Reported by WIRED, citing researchers Benjamin Shultz (American Sunlight Project) and Leonie Oehmig (Institute for Strategic Dialogue); not part of the DA's release."},{"id":"c3","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"'seized these websites pursuant to a court order'; 'Our investigations into these websites and similar operations are ongoing'; sites not named.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'a seizure warrant issued by a New York State Supreme Court'; 'has not publicly named the websites'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The seizure was carried out under a New York State Supreme Court warrant; the DA did not name the sites and said investigations into who ran them and uploaded content are ongoing.","causal_attribution":"DA release and WIRED."}],"effects":[{"label":"about 1,200 real people depicted in non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery published and sold on 12 seized websites","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://manhattanda.org/manhattan-d-a-s-office-seizes-domains-of-12-illegal-websites-selling-ai-generated-deep-fakes/","kind":"official_statement","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-09-17 (DA press release, 14 Sep 2026). ~1,200 real people, 12 domains, overwhelmingly women, court-ordered seizure, ongoing investigation, victim hotline.","independence_group":"manhattanda"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.wired.com/story/new-york-seizes-a-dozen-celebrity-deepfake-websites/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-09-17 (datePublished 2026-09-14). Independent reporting: observed takedown notices pre-announcement, New York State Supreme Court warrant, MrDeepFakes reposts, ISD and American Sunlight Project researchers, 56 EU / 16 US / 2 UK politicians.","independence_group":"wired"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["privacy","justice","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["No individual victim is named and the ~1,200 figure is the DA's approximation; how it counts depicted people versus content creators is not fully specified.","The site operators and uploaders are not identified and no arrests are reported.","How long the sites operated is unclear (WIRED cites one claiming to have been online since 2018); the anchoring event date is the 14 September 2026 seizure."],"geography":{"basis":"Event and court: the seizure was executed by the Manhattan DA under a New York State Supreme Court warrant (DA release, WIRED). Affected people span many countries (US, UK and dozens of European figures per the American Sunlight Project) and are not enumerated, so affected-person countries are left empty.","court_countries":["US"],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":[]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a bounded series of non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery affecting about 1,200 real, identifiable-category people, anchored to the Manhattan DA's 14 September 2026 seizure. The DA's release and WIRED's independent reporting (with named researchers) are read; the count is the DA's approximate figure and the counting method for anonymous-actor artifact waves is flagged for the operator.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-17"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The Manhattan DA's office states AI image- and video-creation tools were used to turn real people's photos into sexual deepfakes; WIRED and cited researchers describe the AI-generated non-consensual imagery on the seized sites. The specific tools are not identified.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"New York: the Manhattan District Attorney seized 12 websites selling AI-generated sexual deepfakes of about 1,200 real people","summary":"On 14 September 2026 Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the seizure of 12 domain names used to disseminate, publish and sell non-consensual AI-generated sexual 'deepfake' videos. His office said individuals under investigation had used AI image- and video-creation tools to turn photos and videos of approximately 1,200 real people, overwhelmingly women, into hyper-realistic sexual imagery without consent. The victims included actors, politicians, athletes, musicians, activists and social-media influencers. WIRED and outside researchers reported that many videos reposted content from the defunct MrDeepFakes platform and that dozens of politicians appeared on the sites; investigations into who ran them are ongoing.","incidentDate":"2026-09-14","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-14","aiSystem":"AI image- and video-generation tools (not identified), used to create non-consensual sexual deepfakes","aiProduct":"Unidentified image and video tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse","reputational_harm","psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Approximately 1,200 real people, overwhelmingly women, had their faces and bodies turned into non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery published and sold on 12 websites; the Manhattan DA described an immense toll on victims' emotional and mental wellbeing and careers, and seized the domains.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1200,"affectedCountStatus":"documented_minimum","affectedCountEvidence":"The Manhattan DA's office states approximately 1,200 real people were depicted in non-consensual sexual imagery on the 12 seized sites; WIRED independently reports the same approximate figure, and the American Sunlight Project counted dozens of politicians among them (56 European, 16 US, 2 UK). The 1,200 figure is the prosecuting authority's approximate count of depicted real people; recorded as a documented minimum.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"US","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://manhattanda.org/manhattan-d-a-s-office-seizes-domains-of-12-illegal-websites-selling-ai-generated-deep-fakes/","primarySourceLabel":"Manhattan District Attorney's Office press release, 14 September 2026: D.A. seizes domains of 12 illegal websites selling AI-generated deepfakes (~1,200 real people)","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-17T03:27:44.31761+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:45.263793+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","ncii","non-consensual-imagery","manhattan-da","new-york","celebrities","united-states","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-operacao-sophia-ai-voice-clone-donation-scam","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Os criminosos utilizavam clonagem de voz e deepfake para simular apelos emocionais das crianças'; pages 'Clube de Doadores' and 'Unidos pelo Amor'; 'sites que imitavam plataformas legítimas de arrecadação, como o Vakinha... código Pix... contas de empresas de fachada'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'As principais produções eram feitas com crianças em tratamento de doenças graves'; pages 'Clube de Doadores', 'Doadores com Amor' and 'Unidos pelo Amor'; the fake-site Pix mechanics paragraph.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The group used AI tools, deepfake and voice cloning to turn real fundraising campaigns of children with serious illnesses into fake donation appeals, boosted by pages named 'Clube de Doadores', 'Doadores com Amor' and 'Unidos pelo Amor', leading donors to lookalike sites that issued Pix codes to shell companies.","causal_attribution":"Both chains attribute the method to the investigating police; the specific AI tools are not named."},{"id":"c2","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"The fake audio text ('O remédio que pode me ajudar é muito caro...'); 'Apenas na campanha falsa envolvendo a imagem da menina, a polícia rastreou R$ 294,5 mil desviados'; 'Foi horrível. A gente perdeu o sono, eu chorei muito'; the donors-'eu doei' passage.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'apenas em relação à falsa campanha que deu origem ao inquérito, ao menos R$ 294,5 mil diretamente rastreados entre chave Pix e gateways de pagamento'; 'A família da criança não autorizou a campanha e não recebeu os valores arrecadados.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The originating fake campaign used the image of Kelen Santos's daughter and an AI-generated child voice — 'O remédio que pode me ajudar é muito caro... qualquer valor já me dá mais um dia com a minha mãe' — and police traced R$294,500 diverted in that campaign; the family lost sleep and had to tell congratulating donors their money had gone to a scam.","causal_attribution":"The diverted amount is the police's traced figure for the originating campaign, carried by both chains; the mother's distress is her own account."},{"id":"c3","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'A operação contra o estelionato e a lavagem de dinheiro prendeu 16 pessoas nesta terça-feira (14)... em cidades de cinco estados diferentes'; 'uma empresa... núcleo financeiro do grupo... movimentou mais de R$ 1,7 milhão'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'A \"Operação Sophia\" acontece por meio da Delegacia de Repressão aos Crimes Patrimoniais Eletrônicos do Rio Grande do Sul, sob coordenação do Delegado João Vitor Herédia. Até o momento, 16 pessoas foram presas preventivamente'; states listed; the R$1.7M hub passage.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Operação Sophia, launched on Tuesday 14 July 2026 by the DRCPE under Delegate João Vitor Herédia, preventively arrested 16 people across five states (RS, PR, SP, MS, PE); a financial-hub company moved more than R$1.7 million in the investigated period.","causal_attribution":"Official police action carried by two independent chains; charges and trials are not yet reported."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'A vaquinha verdadeira foi encerrada pela família após o valor necessário ser atingido. O tratamento foi realizado e a menina apresenta melhora no quadro de saúde.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The daughter's legitimate fundraising campaign had ended earlier after reaching its goal; her treatment was completed and her health is improving.","causal_attribution":"Recovery context preserved per the charter; single chain, attributed."}],"effects":[{"label":"a sick child's image and AI-cloned voice fronted a fake fundraiser that diverted R$294,500; her family absorbed the social cost","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"},{"label":"recovery context: the daughter's legitimate campaign met its goal earlier and her health is improving","claim_id":"c4","direction":"positive"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2026/07/15/vitima-golpe-ia-vaquinha-crianca-cancer-mae.ghtml","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"pt","translation_note":"Read in Portuguese on 2026-09-15 (g1 RS / RBS TV, by Duda Romagna; operation dated 'terça-feira (14)' July 2026). Model translation, no human reviewer.","independence_group":"g1"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/nacional/sul/rs/organizacao-criminosa-de-falsas-doacoes-online-e-alvo-de-operacao/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"pt","translation_note":"Read in Portuguese on 2026-09-15 (datePublished 2026-07-14T08:00-03:00, updated 12:49). Model translation, no human reviewer.","independence_group":"cnn-brasil"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://noticias.uol.com.br/cotidiano/ultimas-noticias/2026/07/14/policia-civil-mira-grupo-suspeito-de-golpe-com-falsas-doacoes-e-pix.ghtm","kind":"news_report","access":"unavailable","language":null,"translation_note":"HTTP 403 (Akamai) on 2026-09-15; headline verified in Google News RSS. Body not inspected; language not established.","independence_group":"uol"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["health","finance","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["The specific AI voice-cloning and deepfake tools are not named in the inspected reporting.","How many children were used nationwide is unknown to the police; the number of defrauded donors is not reported.","Whether the 16 arrested have been charged, and with what offences, is not yet reported.","Whether any funds were recovered for donors is not reported.","The start date of the fake campaigns is not stated; only the operation date (14 July 2026) is firm."],"geography":{"basis":"Event: the fake campaigns and the operation across Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul and Pernambuco. Affected persons: the child and family in Rio Grande do Sul; donors nationwide. No court proceeding is reported yet; a police unit is not a court.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["BR"],"affected_person_countries":["BR"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as an impersonation/fraud case (depicted_or_impersonated): a sick child's image and AI-cloned voice weaponized for donation fraud, documented by two independent chains carrying police figures, with recovery context preserved. The child is unnamed, as in the sources; the mother spoke publicly. Donors are unquantified; money amounts are recorded but never converted to person counts.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-15"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Both inspected chains attribute to the investigating police that the group used AI tools, deepfake and voice cloning for the fake appeals; g1 reproduces the AI-generated audio's text from the fake video. The specific tools are not named.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Brazil: scammers used AI-cloned voices and images of children with cancer in fake donation campaigns; 16 arrested in Operação Sophia","summary":"On 14 July 2026 the Rio Grande do Sul Civil Police launched Operação Sophia against a group that used AI voice cloning and deepfake to turn real fundraising campaigns of children with cancer into fake donation appeals: AI-generated child voices asked for money in videos boosted by pages such as 'Clube de Doadores' and 'Unidos pelo Amor', leading donors to lookalike sites that issued Pix codes to shell companies. Sixteen people were arrested across five states. In the campaign that started the investigation — using the image of Kelen Santos's daughter, who was in cancer treatment — police traced R$294,500 diverted, and the investigation found a financial-hub company that moved more than R$1.7 million. The family had to tell congratulating donors that their money had gone to a scam.","incidentDate":"2026-07-01","incidentEndDate":"2026-07-14","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-07-14","aiSystem":"AI voice-cloning and deepfake video tools (unspecified)","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool","aiCompany":"Unknown","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":["third_party_harm_facilitation"],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss","psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A sick child's image and an AI clone of her voice were weaponized into a fake fundraiser that diverted R$294,500 from donors, leaving her family sleepless and forced to tell donors their gifts had gone to scammers; police say other sick children were used nationwide in unknown numbers.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"partial","affectedCountEvidence":"One counted depicted child: the daughter in the originating case, whose image and AI-cloned voice were used (mother's and police accounts). Police state they do not know how many other children were used nationwide, and defrauded donors are unquantified people — so the total is counted-plus-unquantified (partial). Money amounts are not person counts and are not converted.","victimAgeRange":"minor","jurisdiction":"BR","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://g1.globo.com/rs/rio-grande-do-sul/noticia/2026/07/15/vitima-golpe-ia-vaquinha-crianca-cancer-mae.ghtml","primarySourceLabel":"g1 RS / RBS TV (15 Jul 2026, Duda Romagna) — the mother's account, the fake audio's text, and the operation details","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-15T09:29:09.751654+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:48.500733+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["depicted-or-impersonated","voice-clone","deepfake","fraud","donation-scam","children","brazil"]},{"id":"2026-untan-pontianak-deepfake-victims-suspended","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Kasus dugaan penyalahgunaan teknologi AI tersebut mencuat di media sosial pada awal Mei 2026. RY, mahasiswa Jurusan Biologi FMIPA Untan angkatan 2025, disebut diduga menggunakan teknologi AI untuk memanipulasi foto teman kuliah dan sejumlah mahasiswi menjadi konten vulgar bermuatan asusila'; the borrowed-phone discovery passage.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"In early May 2026 a case of alleged AI abuse surfaced at Untan: RY, a Biology FMIPA student (class of 2025), allegedly used AI to turn photos of female classmates and other students into vulgar content; it came to light when a classmate borrowing his phone found manipulated photos in the gallery.","causal_attribution":"Reported with the outlet's 'dugaan' (alleged) framing; the task force's findings and any police complaint are not public in the inspected source."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Satgas PPKPT Untan telah memeriksa sembilan korban dan saksi, melakukan pendalaman terhadap perangkat milik terlapor, hingga membuka kanal pelaporan bagi korban lain yang belum teridentifikasi'; the victims'-origin passage.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The university's Satgas PPKPT task force examined nine victims and witnesses, deepened examination of the complainant's devices, and opened a reporting channel for further unidentified victims; victims come from the campus, the suspect's high-school circle in Singkawang, and universities outside West Kalimantan.","causal_attribution":"The 'nine victims and witnesses' figure mixes roles; only the six documented suspended victims are counted as harmed persons."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'keenam mahasiswi tersebut disebut mendapat sanksi skorsing selama dua semester'; Achmadi: 'Yang keenam mahasiswi itu sanksinya dicabut dan kuliahnya tetap aktif kembali'; the corrected decree to be handed over 'Selasa (15/9)'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The university suspended six of the victimized students for two semesters; after the 14 September 2026 student demonstration, Vice Rector Dr Achmadi announced the six sanctions were revoked and their academic status reactivated, with the corrected decree to be handed over on 15 September.","causal_attribution":"The suspension and revocation are reported through the outlet's account of the demonstration and the Vice Rector's on-record statements; the suspension decree itself was not inspected."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'keputusan tersebut belum membuat massa sepenuhnya puas'; 'Mahasiswa masih menuntut kepastian mengenai sanksi terhadap mahasiswa berinisial RY... mendesak Untan menjatuhkan sanksi drop out (DO)'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Students welcomed the revocation but said they were not fully satisfied and continued to demand RY's expulsion (drop out); the alleged perpetrator's sanction remained pending.","causal_attribution":"The student demands are reported; the university's decision on RY is pending."}],"effects":[{"label":"students victimized by AI deepfakes were suspended by their university; sanctions revoked after protests","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.detik.com/kalimantan/hukum-dan-kriminal/d-8663012/untan-cabut-sanksi-6-korban-deepfake-mahasiswa-masih-desak-pelaku-di-do/amp","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"id","translation_note":"Read in Indonesian on 2026-09-15 (datePublished 2026-09-15T06:58+07:00; 12 substantive paragraphs). Model translation, no human reviewer.","independence_group":"detik"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["education"],"unknowns":["The specific AI tool used is not named in the inspected reporting.","Whether the task force or police confirmed the images were AI-generated, and any forensic findings from the phone, are not public in the inspected source.","The six suspended students' basis for suspension (which rule they were accused of violating) is not stated in the inspected source.","Some victims come from the suspect's high-school circle; their ages are unstated and they may include minors — sensitivity note recorded.","The corrected decree's contents (handover planned for 15 September) and the decision on RY are pending.","The earlier report in the same series (11 September) is listed but its body was not re-extracted in this pass."],"geography":{"basis":"Event and affected persons: Tanjungpura University, Pontianak, West Kalimantan, with some victims from the suspect's high-school circle in Singkawang and universities outside West Kalimantan — all in Indonesia. No court proceeding is reported; the university's task force and rectorate are not courts.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["ID"],"affected_person_countries":["ID"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact case with a consequential institutional response: students depicted in alleged AI-generated vulgar images were suspended by their university, reversed after protests. The victims are unnamed in the source and here; the suspect is identified by initials only, as in the source; the 'dugaan' (alleged) framing is preserved throughout.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-15"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The case is reported as alleged AI abuse: manipulated photos found in the suspect's phone gallery and reported as AI-generated vulgar content (detikKalimantan's account; 'dugaan'/alleged framing throughout). The specific tool is not named; the task force's device examination findings are not public.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Pontianak, Indonesia: university suspended six students victimized by AI deepfakes; the sanctions were revoked after student protests","summary":"In May 2026, a case of alleged AI abuse surfaced at Tanjungpura University (Untan), Pontianak: a biology student identified by the initials RY allegedly used AI to turn photos of female classmates and other students into vulgar content, discovered when a classmate borrowing his phone found manipulated images in the gallery. The university's task force examined nine victims and witnesses and opened a reporting channel. The university then suspended six of the victimized students for two semesters — while the alleged perpetrator received a lighter sanction — prompting a student demonstration on 14 September 2026 demanding the victims' reinstatement and RY's expulsion. At the protest, Vice Rector Dr Achmadi announced the six sanctions were revoked and the students' academic status reactivated, with the corrected decree to be handed over on 15 September.","incidentDate":"2026-05-01","incidentEndDate":"2026-09-15","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-09-11","aiSystem":"AI image-manipulation tools (unspecified)","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","aiCompany":"Unknown","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":["third_party_harm_facilitation"],"harmOutcomes":["psychological_distress","reputational_harm","educational_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Female students depicted in AI-generated vulgar images were then suspended for two semesters by their own university — an institutional re-victimization reversed only after student protests — while continuing to seek the alleged perpetrator's expulsion.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":6,"affectedCountStatus":"documented_minimum","affectedCountEvidence":"Lower bound: the six victimized students whose two-semester suspensions were revoked on 14 September 2026 (Vice Rector's on-record account). The task force examined 'nine victims and witnesses' and opened a channel for unidentified victims, so the total is larger but not quantified by role; only the six documented suspended victims are counted.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"ID","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"internal_action","outcomeStatus":"resolved","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.detik.com/kalimantan/hukum-dan-kriminal/d-8663012/untan-cabut-sanksi-6-korban-deepfake-mahasiswa-masih-desak-pelaku-di-do/amp","primarySourceLabel":"detikKalimantan (15 Sep 2026, Ocsya Ade CP) — the 14 Sep demonstration, the revocation, and the case background","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-15T09:27:14.16594+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:57.521119+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["depicted-or-impersonated","ncii","deepfake","university","institutional-response","indonesia"]},{"id":"2026-broffoni-google-ai-false-identification","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Una mujer a la que no conocía le avisó que en varios grupos de WhatsApp de Ceuta estaban circulando videos e imágenes suyas y que se decía que estaba proporcionando gas pimienta a inmigrantes marroquíes'; 'Recibí amenazas de muerte, de violación y ataques en general.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"On 26 August 2026, WhatsApp groups in Ceuta circulated videos and images claiming Flavia Broffoni was a woman filmed there allegedly giving pepper spray to Moroccan migrants, and she received death and rape threats.","causal_attribution":"Broffoni's account to La Nación, supported by the warning email and the group screenshot shown to the outlet. One reporting chain; the threats are her report, attributed."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"Screenshot passage: 'uno de los usuarios había tomado un recorte del rostro de la mujer del video y lo había ingresado en una herramienta de inteligencia artificial de Google para consultarle quién era. La consulta incluía como contexto la palabra \"activista\". La respuesta identificaba a la persona de la fotografía como Flavia Broffoni'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"Google Argentina response: 'no pueden confirmar que la captura corresponda a una respuesta generada por sus sistemas porque no cuentan con un enlace al resultado original'; no formal report received.","relation":"context","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The identification originated from a Google AI answer: a group user cropped the woman's face from the video and queried a Google AI tool with the context word 'activista'; the answer identified her as Flavia Broffoni and described her public profile.","causal_attribution":"The screenshot is the evidence of the AI answer; Google neither confirmed nor denied its provenance. The claim is attributed to the screenshot account, not asserted as independently proven."},{"id":"c3","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"'Este medio también probó utilizar la búsqueda de Google a partir del video de la mujer que filmó en Ceuta, y la respuesta de la IA fue afirmar que se trataba de otra persona, una estudiante y community manager oriunda de Quilmes, de la cual brindó datos personales y redes sociales.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"La Nación itself ran the same video through Google's search and the AI asserted the woman was a different person — a student and community manager from Quilmes — and supplied her personal data and social networks.","causal_attribution":"The outlet documents its own replication test — direct evidence that the tool produces false identifications from this input; the second misidentified person is not counted as harmed (no virality-driven harm to her is reported)."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Yo estoy en la Patagonia, Argentina y nunca tuve relación con lo que está ocurriendo allá. La última vez que estuve en España, si mal no recuerdo, fue en 2014'; the 'tres mentiras' analysis; the others'-tests passage ('muy probablemente', short brown hair vs her current long grey hair).","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Broffoni says she is not the woman in the video and was in Patagonia, having last visited Spain in 2014; she also notes there is no evidence the real woman distributed pepper spray, and that tests by other people with the same photo sometimes produced refusals and sometimes 'muy probablemente' her, justified partly from outdated photos.","causal_attribution":"Her account; the factual impossibility is uncontested in the inspected reporting. The real woman in the video is unidentified and the pepper-spray claim about her is unverified."}],"effects":[{"label":"false AI identification attached to an invented accusation, followed by death and rape threats","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.lanacion.com.ar/sociedad/una-ia-identifico-erroneamente-a-una-activista-argentina-en-un-video-de-ceuta-denuncia-hostigamiento-nid28082026/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"es","translation_note":"Read in Spanish on 2026-09-15 (datePublished 2026-08-28T15:09Z; 25 substantive paragraphs including the Broffoni interview, the screenshot account, the outlet's own test and Google Argentina's response). Model translation, no human reviewer.","independence_group":"la-nacion"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["unknown"],"contexts":["everyday_life","privacy"],"unknowns":["Which Google product produced the identification is not named in the inspected reporting; only 'una herramienta de inteligencia artificial de Google' is described.","Whether a formal complaint or lawsuit was filed after 28 August 2026 is not reported.","The identity of the woman actually filmed in Ceuta, and any basis for the pepper-spray claim about her, is unknown.","The student from Quilmes falsely identified in La Nación's test: whether she experienced any harm from the tool's identification is unreported.","The reach of the false identification beyond the Ceuta WhatsApp groups (views, reshares) is not quantified."],"geography":{"basis":"Event: the identification and its circulation happened in Ceuta — the screenshot came from a Ceuta WhatsApp group and the warning sender is described as a citizen of Ceuta. Affected person: Broffoni is in Epuyén, Chubut, Argentine Patagonia ('Yo estoy en la Patagonia, Argentina'). No court proceeding is reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["ES"],"affected_person_countries":["AR"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a consequential false claim about a person (made_claim_about): a named adult publicly pursuing accountability, documented through one strong original chain that includes the outlet's own replication of the failure. Threats are attributed to her account; the AI answer's provenance is attributed to the screenshot account with Google's neither-confirm-nor-deny response recorded.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-15"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The WhatsApp-group screenshot shows a Google AI answer naming Broffoni from a face crop with 'activista' context; La Nación independently reproduced a false identification of a different person from the same video; Broffoni reports that tests by others sometimes produced 'muy probablemente' her. Google Argentina neither confirmed nor denied that the screenshot came from its systems, asking for the original link. The specific product is not named in the inspected reporting.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["made_claim_about"]},"name":"Google AI falsely identified Argentine activist Flavia Broffoni as a woman in a Ceuta migrant-violence video; death and rape threats followed","summary":"On 26 August 2026, WhatsApp groups in Ceuta circulated videos and images claiming that Argentine political scientist and activist Flavia Broffoni — who was in Patagonia and had not been to Spain since 2014 — was a woman filmed in Ceuta allegedly giving pepper spray to Moroccan migrants. A screenshot from one group shows that a user cropped the woman's face from the video and asked a Google AI tool who she was, with the word 'activista' as context; the answer identified her as Flavia Broffoni with details of her public profile. Broffoni received death and rape threats. La Nación's own test with the same video produced a different false identification — a student from Quilmes, with her personal data. Google Argentina said it could not confirm the screenshot came from its systems without the original link and had received no formal report. Broffoni is weighing legal action with her lawyer.","incidentDate":"2026-08-26","incidentEndDate":"2026-08-28","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"single_interaction","reportedDate":"2026-08-28","aiSystem":"Google AI tool answering a face-crop query (product not named in inspected reporting)","aiProduct":"Unidentified Google AI tool (reported)","aiCompany":"Google","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["psychological_distress","reputational_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A false AI identification attached to an invented accusation spread in Ceuta WhatsApp groups brought death and rape threats to a woman who was demonstrably on another continent, plus reputational damage she is now addressing with a lawyer.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"documented_minimum","affectedCountEvidence":"One documented harmed person: Broffoni, named and interviewed. The student from Quilmes falsely identified in La Nación's own test is not counted — no harm to her from virality is reported (the test was the outlet's own); she is recorded in the unknowns.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"AR","platformType":"assistant","outcomeType":"media_coverage","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.lanacion.com.ar/sociedad/una-ia-identifico-erroneamente-a-una-activista-argentina-en-un-video-de-ceuta-denuncia-hostigamiento-nid28082026/","primarySourceLabel":"La Nación (28 Aug 2026, Aldana Rizzuto) — interview with Broffoni, the WhatsApp screenshot account, the outlet's own replication test, and Google Argentina's response","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-15T09:23:34.062763+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:29.743515+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["made-claim-about","false-identification","google-ai","argentina","ceuta","threats","defamation-adjacent"]},{"id":"2026-etawah-ai-video-blackmail-suicide","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'A 26-year-old makeup artist died by suicide at her rented residence in Vrindavan Colony under the Civil Lines police station area in Etawah'; 'On the night of July 20th, Civil Lines Police Station received information that a woman had died by suicide.'; 'she named two women and two men, holding them directly responsible for her death while clearing her husband of any involvement.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'\"These four people are the reason I am hanging myself... They have ruined my home. If I die, they should be imprisoned for life,\" Komal said in the video.'; 'said he rushed Komal to a hospital after receiving the video, but doctors declared her dead.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'उत्तर प्रदेश के इटावा जिले में 26 वर्षीय ब्यूटीशियन और इवेंट ऑर्गेनाइजर कोमल मिश्रा ने गले में चादर से फंदा लगाकर आत्महत्या कर ली. घटना से ठीक पहले उन्होंने अपने मोबाइल से एक वीडियो रिकॉर्ड'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'The woman had died by suicide at her home on July 21.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"A beautician and event organiser in Etawah died by suicide at her rented home in Vrindavan Colony (Civil Lines) on the night of 20 July 2026 (police; TOI says 21 July) after recording a video in which she named two women and two men as the reason, said they had ruined her home and should be jailed for life, and cleared her husband; she was taken to hospital and declared dead.","causal_attribution":"Police account (ANI, TOI) and three newsrooms' own reporting; the date differs by a day between the circle officer's account and TOI."},{"id":"c2","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'She also said that the accused had been threatening to reveal details of her life before marriage to her husband and in-laws, leaving her under severe mental stress.'; 'As per her husband, the harassment also involved AI-generated videos and photographs that were being used to blackmail her.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'उसके दोस्त लगातार एआई से वीडियो और फोटो बनाने के लिए ब्लैकमेल कर रहे थे। जिससे वह परेशान हो गई थी।'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'जयपुर से लौटने के बाद दोस्त कोमल को एआई से वीडियो और फोटो बनाकर ब्लैकमेल कर रहे थे.'","relation":"context","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'Mishra had been collaborating with four individuals from Kanpur in event management and beautician work. Dwivedi alleged that the group had been mentally harassing her over unresolved matters dating back to before their marriage.'","relation":"context","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'पति सौरभ के मुताबिक, ब्लैकमेलिंग में एआई से बने फेक वीडियो और मॉर्फ्ड तस्वीरें इस्तेमाल की गईं, जो कोमल को मानसिक रूप से तोड़ रही थीं।'","relation":"context","source_id":"s6"}],"assertion":"In her final video the woman said the four had threatened to reveal details of her pre-marriage life to her husband and in-laws; her husband says that after she returned from a Jaipur assignment the four (former work associates from Kanpur, per ANI) had been harassing and blackmailing her with AI-made videos and photographs.","causal_attribution":"The husband's allegation, reported by India Today (with AajTak, the same reporter) and independently by India TV; the corroboration is of the allegation's content, not of the AI-made material itself, which no police statement read describes. Oneindia's rewrite is context only."},{"id":"c3a","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Civil Lines police seized Mishra's mobile phone and digital evidence at the scene. Circle Officer (Sadar) Avneesh Kumar Singh confirmed that inquest proceedings and a post-mortem examination have been conducted.'; 'An official case is being registered based on the husband's formal complaint (tehreer), and police are currently verifying the authenticity of the video recording'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Police said they have recovered multiple videos from Komal's mobile phone and are verifying the allegations'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'पुलिस के अनुसार मोबाइल फोन में वीडियो मिले हैं'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"Civil Lines police seized her phone and evidence at the scene, conducted the inquest and post-mortem, said a case was being registered on the husband's complaint and that they were verifying the videos recovered from her phone.","causal_attribution":"Police statements to ANI, India Today and India TV (22 July 2026)."},{"id":"c3b","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Police on Saturday arrested a 30-year-old man, identified as Abhishek Singh, the main accused in a case related to the alleged abetment of a makeup artist's suicide.'; 'Police seized the video and other evidence and registered a case of abetment to suicide.'; 'SHO K.K. Mishra said the main accused was produced before a court and sent to jail. He added that three other accused, including two women, remain absconding'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"On Saturday 25 July 2026 Etawah police arrested the alleged main accused, a 30-year-old man, in a case of abetment to suicide registered on the husband's FIR against four former acquaintances; he was produced before a court and sent to jail, while three others including two women were absconding and police teams were formed to find them.","causal_attribution":"Police statement to The Times of India (27 July 2026; the Saturday before it is 25 July); single source."}],"effects":[{"label":"a 20- or 26-year-old woman died by suicide after harassment and blackmail that her husband says used AI-generated videos and morphed photographs; in her final video she named four people as the reason","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/komal-mishra-suicide-video-etawah-police-probe-ai-blackmail-allegations-2953448-2026-07-22","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read 2026-09-24 (AMP path, retained) and re-read 2026-09-26 (India Today, 22 July 2026). Victim's video quotes, the four names, the husband's AI-video statement, hospital and police details.","independence_group":"indiatoday"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/mental-harassment-26-year-old-makeup-artist-dies-by-suicide-in-etawah-names-4-in-final-video20260722201210/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read 2026-09-24 (retained) and re-read 2026-09-26 (ANI, 22 July 2026). Circle Officer (Sadar) Avneesh Kumar Singh's account: death on the night of 20 July, inquest, post-mortem, phone seized, case being registered on the husband's complaint, video authenticity under verification; age 26; no AI mention.","independence_group":"ani"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/main-accused-held-in-make-up-artists-suicide-abetment-case/articleshow/132646953.cms","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read 2026-09-24 (retained) and re-read 2026-09-26 (The Times of India, Kanpur, 27 July 2026). Arrest of the 30-year-old main accused; death dated 21 July; FIR by the husband against four former acquaintances; three absconding; no AI mention.","independence_group":"toi"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.aajtak.in/uttar-pradesh/story/etawah-beautician-komal-mishra-commits-suicide-records-video-accusing-friends-of-blackmail-lclam-strc-2606718-2026-07-22","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"hi","translation_note":"Read live 2026-09-26 (AajTak, 22 July 2026; Hindi). Bylined by the same Etawah reporter as the India Today report (India Today Group), so it is the same chain and adds no independent support; it carries the husband's statement that after Jaipur her friends were blackmailing her with AI-made videos and photos, and gives her age as 26. Reviewer translation; no human translator.","independence_group":"indiatoday"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.indiatv.in/uttar-pradesh/make-up-artist-in-etawah-took-her-own-life-on-video-saying-her-friends-ruined-her-life-2026-07-22-1232730","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"hi","translation_note":"Read live 2026-09-26 (India TV Hindi, 22 July 2026). Own report from Etawah: Vrindavan Colony, Civil Lines; police say videos were found on her phone; the husband's sentence about the friends 'लगातार एआई से वीडियो और फोटो बनाने के लिए ब्लैकमेल कर रहे थे' can be read as blackmailing her with, or for making, AI videos and photos; age about 20. Reviewer translation.","independence_group":"indiatv"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://hindi.oneindia.com/news/uttar-pradesh/komal-mishra-death-wife-dies-after-ai-blackmailing-last-video-says-broken-my-love-marriage-etawah-1614183.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"hi","translation_note":"Read live 2026-09-26 (Oneindia Hindi, 22 July 2026). A rewrite 'according to media reports' whose husband sentence repeats the India Today wording (AI-made fake videos and morphed photographs); it also asserts that police have registered a case against all four and speculates about sections, which conflicts with ANI's 'being registered'. Not counted as an independent chain; no claim rests on it alone.","independence_group":"indiatoday"},{"id":"s7","url":"https://www.latestly.com/india/news/komal-mishra-suicide-up-beautician-says-obscene-ai-videos-were-used-to-blackmail-her-names-4-in-final-video-7528571.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read 2026-09-24 (retained) (Latestly, 23 July 2026). Copies India Today's text; same group; adds nothing independent.","independence_group":"indiatoday"},{"id":"s8","url":"https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-up-horror-20-year-old-woman-dies-by-suicide-alleges-blackmail-with-ai-generated-videos-probe-underway-3216780","kind":"news_report","access":"unavailable","language":null,"translation_note":"Not read: DNA India returned 403 on 2026-09-24 and 2026-09-26 with no Archive capture; listed because the historical row cited it; no claim rests on it.","independence_group":"dna"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["relationships","privacy","work","justice"],"unknowns":["Her age (20 in India Today, Latestly and India TV; 26 in ANI, AajTak and Oneindia) and the exact date of death (night of 20 July per the circle officer; 21 July per TOI; the earlier held row said 22 July, the reporting date).","Whether the videos and photographs used for blackmail were in fact AI-generated or morphed; no police or forensic finding is reported.","The current status of the abetment case, the three absconding accused and any charge-sheet.","What the blackmail demanded and how the material was sent.","Whether 'morphed photographs' (India Today chain) or 'AI videos and photos' (India TV) is the family's exact allegation; no police description of the material."],"geography":{"basis":"The death occurred at the couple's rented home in Vrindavan Colony, Civil Lines police station area, Etawah, Uttar Pradesh (ANI; India TV); the main accused was produced before a court by Etawah police (TOI).","court_countries":["IN"],"event_countries":["IN"],"affected_person_countries":["IN"]},"publication":{"basis":"Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter and the death-verification rule: the death is confirmed by police statements to ANI and TOI and reported by India Today and India TV, and the reported AI connection (the husband's allegation) is carried by two independent chains, India Today Group (India Today and AajTak, same reporter) and India TV; the connection and causation remain allegations under police investigation. The original ID and first-publication timestamp are preserved; no person is named in the public record.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-26"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The husband's allegation that the blackmail used AI-made videos and photographs, reported by India Today (with AajTak, the same reporter) and independently by India TV; Oneindia repeats the India Today wording in a rewrite. The police statements read (ANI, TOI) describe the seizure of her phone and the verification of her videos but no examination of AI-made material.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Etawah, Uttar Pradesh: a beautician and event organiser died by suicide on the night of 20-21 July 2026 after recording a video naming four acquaintances she said had ruined her home; her husband says they had been blackmailing her with AI-made videos and photographs (India Today: 'AI-generated videos and morphed photographs'); police registered an abetment case and arrested the main accused (July 2026)","summary":"A beautician, make-up artist and event organiser in Etawah district, Uttar Pradesh (aged 20 or 26 depending on the report), recorded a video on her phone and sent it to her husband before hanging herself at their rented home in Vrindavan Colony, Civil Lines, on the night of 20 July 2026 (ANI's circle officer; the Times of India says 21 July). In the video she named two women and two men, former work acquaintances, as 'the reason I am hanging myself', said they had ruined her home and should be jailed for life, said they had threatened to reveal details of her pre-marriage life to her husband and in-laws, and cleared her husband. Her husband, a block-office clerk, told India Today (whose Etawah reporter also wrote the AajTak report) and, separately, India TV that after she returned from a Jaipur assignment the four had been harassing and blackmailing her with AI-made videos and photographs. Civil Lines police seized her phone, held the inquest and post-mortem and said they were verifying the videos; the Times of India reported on 27 July that a case of abetment to suicide had been registered on the husband's complaint and that the alleged main accused, a 30-year-old man, had been arrested on Saturday 25 July and sent to jail while the other three, including the two women, were absconding. The AI attribution rests on the husband's account as reported; her video, as quoted, names four people and describes threats to expose her pre-marriage life; the police statements read do not describe an examination of the material.","incidentDate":"2026-07-20","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-07-22","aiSystem":"AI video generation / image morphing tools (unidentified), alleged by the husband to have been used to make videos and photographs for blackmail","aiProduct":"Unidentified image and video tool","severity":"critical","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["death","psychological_distress","exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A young woman died by suicide after, according to her final video and her husband's account, sustained harassment and blackmail by four acquaintances that her husband says used AI-made videos and photographs (India Today with AajTak; India TV; death confirmed by police via ANI and TOI). The AI element and the causal link are the family's allegations under police investigation; an abetment case is registered and one arrest is reported.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person died (police via ANI and TOI). Exact 1. Her husband and two children are not counted.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"IN-UP","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/komal-mishra-suicide-video-etawah-police-probe-ai-blackmail-allegations-2953448-2026-07-22","primarySourceLabel":"India Today, 22 July 2026: UP woman dies by suicide, alleges AI-generated video blackmail","firstPublishedAt":"2026-08-05T02:52:31.316102+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:36.708408+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["suicide","deepfake","blackmail","sextortion","harassment","india","uttar-pradesh","etawah","abetment","depicted-or-impersonated","restored"]},{"id":"2026-libertyville-teacher-ai-csam","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'was taken into custody Friday on eight counts of Child Pornography following a lengthy investigation that started in June, officials said.'; 'students reported to school staff that they believed their teacher was video recording students.'; 'A forensic examination by the Lake County State's Attorney's Office Cyber Lab revealed numerous images of students that had been altered using AI to create explicit images, officials said.'; 'two of the child pornography charges against Sheffer are class X felonies, while six counts are Class 1 felonies.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'authorities alleging he created \"illicit\" images by using an AI program to digitally place the heads of students on the bodies of other people, according to the Lake County State's Attorney's Office.'; 'was arrested on eight felony counts.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"'Officials said he took photos and videos of current and former students and then used generative AI to alter them into pornographic images.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'A Libertyville middle school teacher has been arrested and charged with possession and/or creation of child pornography, police and the Lake County State's Attorney's Office said Friday.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'now faces eight felony counts of child pornography following his arrest Friday, according to the Lake County State's Attorney's Office.'; 'detectives executed additional search warrants at Sheffer's residence and recovered multiple electronic devices.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"On 3 July 2026 Libertyville police and the Lake County State's Attorney announced that a 44-year-old Highland Middle School social studies teacher had been taken into custody on eight counts of child pornography (two Class X and six Class 1 felonies); the investigation began after students reported they believed he was video-recording students, a forensic examination of his phone found numerous images of students altered using AI to create explicit images, and further explicit child images were seized from devices at his home with electronic-storage-detection dogs; the State's Attorney's Office described the method as using an AI program to place students' heads on other people's bodies.","causal_attribution":"Police and State's Attorney statements reported by six outlets from the same release chain (one independence group), so recorded as reported."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'\"On the second to last day of the school year... several students reported concerns to school leaders regarding inappropriate photos/videos allegedly taken by Mr. Sheffer that afternoon in his classroom.\"'; '\"Mr. Sheffer was immediately removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave that day,\" the statement continued.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'noting the district became aware of the accusations on the second to last day of school, June 3.'; '\"Mr. Sheffer was immediately removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave that day,\" she wrote.'; 'Sheffer, who taught at Highland Middle School in Libertyville for 18 years'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'Jenkins said in a letter to District 70 parents obtained Friday by the Lake & McHenry County Scanner that Sheffer was a social studies teacher with the district for 18 years.'; 'the investigation followed the district's immediate outreach to the police on the second-to-last day of school on June 3.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'The charges include allegations that some of the photos showed girls who Sheffer knew, or should have known, were under the age of 13 years old, according to court documents provided to Patch.'; 'During a detention hearing on Monday, a Lake County judge ordered Sheffer remain detained as court proceedings move forward, according to online court records.'; 'Sheffer is next expected in court on July 30 for a preliminary hearing.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The district says several students reported concerns to school leaders on 3 June 2026, the second-to-last day of school, about inappropriate photos or videos allegedly taken by the teacher that afternoon in his classroom; he was immediately removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave that day, the police were contacted, and the district also contacted DCFS; he had worked for District 70 for 18 years; court documents allege some images showed girls he knew or should have known were under 13; a Lake County judge ordered him detained on 6 July 2026 with a preliminary hearing set for 30 July.","causal_attribution":"The district statement and letter (CBS Chicago, Daily Herald, Scanner) and court documents and records (Patch); the outcome of the 30 July hearing was not found."}],"effects":[{"label":"middle-school students' images were allegedly altered with AI into explicit material by their teacher; eight child-pornography counts filed and the accused detained","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2026/07/03/libertyville-middle-school-teacher-charged-with-videotaping-students-using-ai-to-create-explicit-images/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-26 (Lake & McHenry County Scanner, 3 July 2026). Quotes the police/State's Attorney release and the district superintendent's letter to parents obtained by the outlet.","independence_group":"police-sa-release"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://patch.com/illinois/grayslake/teacher-accused-secretly-recording-students-creating-ai-generated-explicit-images","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-26 (Patch Grayslake, 6 July 2026). Adds court documents (girls under 13 allegation), the detention hearing and the 30 July preliminary hearing from online court records.","independence_group":"police-sa-release"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://abc7chicago.com/post/libertyville-middle-school-teacher-matthew-sheffer-accused-using-ai-create-explicit-images-students-child-porn-charges/19442819/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-26 (ABC7 Chicago, published 3 July 2026, body dated Monday 6 July 2026 after a correction of the teacher's first name). Release quotes; administrative leave; support services for affected families.","independence_group":"police-sa-release"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.dailyherald.com/20260703/crime/authorities-libertyville-middle-school-teacher-created-ai-child-sex-abuse-materials/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en-US","translation_note":"Read on 2026-09-26 from an Internet Archive capture (Daily Herald, 3 July 2026), decoded from the gzip-encoded body after the second-researcher check. Release quotes and the superintendent's letter: removed from the classroom and placed on leave on 3 June, resources for students, policy review on staff use of personal technology.","independence_group":"police-sa-release"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/libertyville-middle-school-teacher-charged-ai-students-child-pornography/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en-US","translation_note":"Read on 2026-09-26 from an Internet Archive capture (CBS News Chicago, 3 July 2026), decoded after the second-researcher check. Officials' description (photos and videos of current and former students altered with generative AI) and the district statement dating the alleged recordings to the afternoon of the second-to-last day of school.","independence_group":"police-sa-release"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/03/libertyville-teacher-child-porn-charges/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en-US","translation_note":"Read on 2026-09-26 from an Internet Archive capture (Chicago Tribune, 3 July 2026), decoded after the second-researcher check. State's Attorney's description of the AI method (students' heads on other people's bodies), prosecutors' intention to seek detention, the district letter, the DCFS contact and the policy review on video recording.","independence_group":"police-sa-release"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["education","privacy","justice"],"unknowns":["How many students appear in the altered images and whether the material was shared beyond the accused's devices.","The outcome of the 30 July 2026 preliminary hearing and the case's current status; any plea or trial date.","The software used; authorities describe an AI program placing students' heads on other bodies but do not identify it.","When the photos and videos were taken beyond the afternoon of 3 June 2026 described in the district statement; the release refers to videos taken in class without dates.","The accused's plea; officials initially gave a different first name, corrected in later copy."],"geography":{"basis":"The school is Highland Middle School in Libertyville, Illinois (Scanner, Patch); the students are its current and former pupils; the charges are in Lake County Circuit Court, Illinois (Patch).","court_countries":["US"],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as a depicted-minor case with criminal charges announced by police and the State's Attorney and reported by six outlets from one release chain, one adding court records and two the State's Attorney's and district's descriptions; allegations are charges awaiting trial and are recorded as reported. The original ID and first-publication timestamp are preserved; the teacher and the students are not named in the public record.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-26"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The Libertyville Police and Lake County State's Attorney release says the forensic examination found images of students 'altered using AI to create explicit images' (Scanner wording; ABC7 and Patch paraphrase); the State's Attorney's Office told the Chicago Tribune an AI program was used to place students' heads on other people's bodies, and CBS Chicago reports officials describing generative AI alteration of photos and videos. These are charging statements, not court findings; the software is not identified.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Libertyville, Illinois: a Highland Middle School social studies teacher was charged on 3 July 2026 with eight counts of child pornography after students reported he was recording them in class and a forensic examination found images of students altered with AI into explicit images; ordered detained on 6 July","summary":"A 44-year-old social studies teacher who had worked for Libertyville School District 70 for 18 years was taken into custody on 3 July 2026 on eight counts of child pornography (two Class X and six Class 1 felonies), Libertyville police and the Lake County State's Attorney's Office announced. The investigation began on 3 June 2026, the second-to-last day of the school year, after several students told school leaders that afternoon that the teacher had taken inappropriate photos or videos of them in his classroom; the district says it immediately removed him from the classroom, placed him on administrative leave and contacted the police. A forensic examination of his phone by the State's Attorney's Cyber Lab found numerous images of students that had been altered using artificial intelligence to create explicit images, and search warrants at his home, assisted by electronic-storage-detection dogs, recovered further devices and explicit child images; the State's Attorney's Office told the Chicago Tribune that an AI program was used to place students' heads on other people's bodies, and CBS Chicago reported that officials said he took photos and videos of current and former students. Court documents reported by Patch say some images depicted girls he knew or should have known were under 13. At a detention hearing on 6 July a Lake County judge ordered him held pending proceedings, with a preliminary hearing set for 30 July 2026; no later development was found. The district superintendent told parents that supporting students' well-being was the immediate focus and that resources were being made available; authorities said they would keep affected families informed and connect them with support services. Officials initially gave a different first name for the teacher, corrected in later copy; he is not named here.","incidentDate":"2026-06-03","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-07-03","aiSystem":"Generative AI image-alteration software (unidentified) that police say was used to alter recordings of students into explicit images","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Photos and videos of middle-school students were allegedly altered with AI into explicit images by their teacher (police and State's Attorney statements via the Lake & McHenry County Scanner, ABC7, Patch, the Daily Herald, CBS Chicago and the Chicago Tribune); the district says supporting students' well-being is its immediate focus and authorities say they are connecting affected families with support services. The allegations are charges awaiting trial.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"unquantified","affectedCountEvidence":"'Numerous images of students' (release) and 'current and former students' (CBS Chicago reporting officials) are given without a number; images are not counted as people. Unquantified.","victimAgeRange":"minor","jurisdiction":"US-IL","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2026/07/03/libertyville-middle-school-teacher-charged-with-videotaping-students-using-ai-to-create-explicit-images/","primarySourceLabel":"Lake & McHenry County Scanner, 3 July 2026: Libertyville middle school teacher charged with videotaping students, using AI to create explicit images","firstPublishedAt":"2026-07-06T02:45:01.237307+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:44.243006+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["csam","deepfake","minor","school","teacher","criminal-charges","illinois","libertyville","depicted-or-impersonated","restored"]},{"id":"2026-chennai-ai-morphed-ex-colleague","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The Cyber Crime Wing of the Tamil Nadu police have arrested a woman who posted morphed photographs of her former colleague on social media platforms with an intention to cause mental trauma and tarnish her reputation.'; 'in the first week of January, several employees of the victim'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'received a follow request on January 4 from an unknown ID, which then went on to circulate defamatory content, including morphed images of the woman.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'The case was registered following a complaint from a Chennai-based employee of a private company, who alleged that objectionable and morphed images were circulated using fake Instagram accounts to damage her reputation and cause mental distress.'; 'On January 4, several employees of the firm received follow requests from unknown Instagram IDs, which were later used to share defamatory content of the victim.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"From 4 January 2026 several employees of the victim's company received follow requests from unknown Instagram accounts, which were then used to circulate objectionable and defamatory content including obscene morphed images of a senior woman employee; she complained that the images were circulated to damage her reputation and cause mental distress.","causal_attribution":"Police release and the victim's complaint as reported by three outlets (one chain)."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'It was found that the accused was a former employee of the same organisation where the victim holds a senior position. She had resigned from her position in October 2025.'; 'She downloaded the photos of the victim from the official website of the company and morphed them using various Artificial Intelligence applications.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'The accused had resigned from her job in October 2025 and fell into depression.'; 'morphed the photos using various Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications and had circulated through fake IDs, police said.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'The accused had resigned in October 2025 and had previous enmity with the victim, police said.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Police traced the accounts to a former employee of the same company who had resigned in October 2025 and, according to police, acted out of resentment and previous enmity to threaten, harass and publicly humiliate the victim; she downloaded the victim's photographs from the company's official website and morphed them using various artificial-intelligence applications.","causal_attribution":"Police account; motive is the police characterisation."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The accused was produced in a city court and remanded in judicial custody, the release said.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'The accused was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.'; 'cautioned citizens to use social media platforms responsibly and warned that cyber harassment through social media is punishable.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The accused was arrested, produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody, and the Cyber Crime Wing DGP issued a public warning that cyber harassment through social media is punishable.","causal_attribution":"Police release."}],"effects":[{"label":"obscene AI-morphed images of a senior employee circulated to her colleagues through fake Instagram accounts; she alleged they were circulated to damage her reputation and cause her mental distress","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/woman-held-for-posting-morphed-photos-of-former-colleague-on-social-media/article70591659.ece","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read on 2026-09-23 from an Internet Archive capture (live page 403); The Hindu, Chennai, published 4 February 2026 19:45 IST. Carries the police press release.","independence_group":"tn-cyber-crime-wing-release"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.dtnext.in/news/chennai/chennai-woman-arrested-for-using-ai-to-create-obscene-photos-of-senior-at-former-workplace","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-23 (DT Next, 4 February 2026): the same police release with the 4 January date and the DGP's warning.","independence_group":"tn-cyber-crime-wing-release"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2026/Feb/05/chennai-woman-held-for-circulating-morphed-pictures-of-ex-colleague","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-23 (The New Indian Express, 5 February 2026): the complaint and the police account; same chain.","independence_group":"tn-cyber-crime-wing-release"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://theprint.in/india/woman-held-for-using-ai-to-morph-photos-of-ex-colleague-to-settle-personal-grudge/2845802/","kind":"news_report","access":"unavailable","language":null,"translation_note":"Original primary source of the June 2026 row (ThePrint, 4 February 2026); on 2026-09-23 the live page returned 403, no Internet Archive capture was found and the reader proxy was redirected to an unrelated blocked page (loadway.best). Not relied on.","independence_group":"tn-cyber-crime-wing-release"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["work","everyday_life","privacy"],"unknowns":["The date of the arrest (reported on 4 February 2026; not stated).","The charge sections and the outcome of the prosecution.","The AI applications used.","Whether the images were removed from the platforms."],"geography":{"basis":"The victim is a Chennai-based employee of a private company (The New Indian Express) and the case was handled by the Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing with a Chennai dateline (The Hindu: city-based company); the accused was produced in a city court and remanded (The Hindu, DT Next).","court_countries":["IN"],"event_countries":["IN"],"affected_person_countries":["IN"]},"publication":{"basis":"Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as a harmful-artifact case in a workplace: obscene AI-morphed images of a senior employee sent to her colleagues, documented by a Tamil Nadu police press release carried by three outlets (one chain, all claims reported). The original ID and first-publication timestamp are preserved; the incident date and unsupported details of the historical row are corrected. Neither woman is named.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-23"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The police release states that the accused morphed the victim's photographs using various artificial-intelligence applications (The Hindu, DT Next, NIE); the applications are not named and no independent account was inspected.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Chennai: a former employee downloaded a senior woman colleague's photographs from their company's website, morphed them into obscene images with AI applications and circulated them to the company's staff through fake Instagram accounts from 4 January 2026; Tamil Nadu's cyber-crime wing traced and arrested her (reported 4 February 2026) and she was remanded in judicial custody","summary":"From 4 January 2026 several employees of a Chennai company received follow requests from unknown Instagram accounts that then circulated defamatory content, including obscene AI-morphed images of a senior woman employee. On her complaint the State Cyber Crime Investigation Centre of the Tamil Nadu police traced the digital footprints, social-media activity and IP logs to a former employee of the same company who had resigned in October 2025 and, according to police, acted out of resentment and previous enmity to threaten, harass and publicly humiliate the victim; she had taken the photographs from the company's official website and morphed them using various artificial-intelligence applications. She was arrested, produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody; the police press release was reported on 4 and 5 February 2026 and the cyber-crime DGP issued a public warning about social-media misuse. The victim alleged the images were circulated to damage her reputation and cause mental distress.","incidentDate":"2026-01-04","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-02-04","aiSystem":"AI image-morphing applications (unspecified; police say various artificial-intelligence applications were used)","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse","reputational_harm","psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A senior woman employee had obscene AI-morphed images of herself sent to her colleagues through fake Instagram accounts from 4 January 2026; she alleged the images were circulated to damage her reputation and cause her mental distress, and police describe the aim as threatening, harassing and publicly humiliating her. The account rests on the police release and the complaint as reported.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One victim, the senior employee whose images were morphed and circulated (The Hindu, DT Next, NIE). Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"IN","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"unknown","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/woman-held-for-posting-morphed-photos-of-former-colleague-on-social-media/article70591659.ece","primarySourceLabel":"The Hindu, 4 February 2026: Woman held for posting morphed photos of former colleague on social media","firstPublishedAt":"2026-06-15T09:09:11.276087+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:31.041777+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","morphing","harassment","india","tamil-nadu","chennai","workplace","instagram","non-consensual-images","arrest","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-indore-ai-photos-blackmail","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'बाणगंगा थाना क्षेत्र में एक छात्रा ने युवक पर आरोप लगाया है कि उसने उसकी पुरानी तस्वीरों को एआई की मदद से आपत्तिजनक तरीके से एडिट किया।'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'एक निजी कॉलेज की प्रथम वर्ष की छात्रा ने अपने ही एक परिचित युवक पर गंभीर आरोप लगाए हैं।'; 'उस समय शादी के माहौल में दोनों के बीच सामान्य जान-पहचान हुई और इसी दौरान आरोपी ने छात्रा की कुछ तस्वीरें भी खींच ली थीं।'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'इनकार करने पर आरोपी ने शादी में साथ खीचें फोटो को एआइ की मदद से अश्लील बनाकर सोशल मीडिया पर वायरल करने की धमकी देना शुरू कर दी।'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"A first-year student at a private college in Indore complained that a young man she met at her sister's wedding in 2024, who took some of her photographs there, later pressed her to marry him and, when she refused, threatened to edit her photographs with AI into objectionable (Navbharat Times, Amar Ujala) or obscene (Patrika) images and post them online, and blackmailed her.","causal_attribution":"Complainant's account as relayed by the Banganga police (one chain)."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'आरोपी छात्रा के मंगेतर तक पहुंच गया और उसे एडिट की गई तस्वीरें दिखाईं। तस्वीरें देखने के बाद दोनों परिवारों में विवाद की स्थिति बन गई और आखिरकार सगाई टूट गई।'; 'इस घटना के बाद छात्रा गहरे मानसिक तनाव में चली गई।'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'पीड़िता ने पुलिस को बताया कि दो माह पूर्व परिवार ने उनकी शादी एक युवक से तय कर दी।'; 'उसने मंगेतर को डरा धमकाकर शादी तुड़वाई।'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'जब पीड़िता के परिवार ने उसकी शादी कहीं और तय करने की कोशिश की, तो आरोपी ने वहां भी बाधा डाली।'; 'लगभग दो महीने पहले जब युवती की सगाई हुई, तो आरोपी सीधे उसके घर पहुंच गया और होने वाले मंगेतर के सामने युवती के चरित्र पर झूठे आरोप लगाए, जिसके परिणामस्वरूप छात्रा की सगाई टूट गई।'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"After her family arranged her engagement elsewhere, the accused intervened and the engagement was broken off: Navbharat Times says he reached her fiancé and showed him the edited pictures; Patrika says he went to the fiancé's home and intimidated him; Amar Ujala says he came to her house at the engagement about two months earlier and made false allegations about her character in front of the prospective fiancé. The student went into severe mental distress.","causal_attribution":"Complainant's account as relayed by police; the three descriptions of how the fiancé was approached are all recorded."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'इस मानसिक प्रताड़ना और सामाजिक अपमान से तंग आकर छात्रा ने आत्महत्या जैसा आत्मघाती कदम उठाने का मन बना लिया था।'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'एडिशनल डीसीपी अमरेंद्र सिंह के मुताबिक छात्रा की शिकायत के आधार पर एफआईआर दर्ज कर ली गई है।'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'अब पुलिस फरार आरोपी की तलाश में जुटी है।'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Worn down by the harassment and social humiliation, she had resolved to take a suicidal step before confiding in her family, who took her to senior police officers; an FIR was registered at Banganga police station under the IT Act and sections on threats and defamation, and police were searching for the accused.","causal_attribution":"Amar Ujala's account of the suicidal intention and Navbharat Times' police quotation; no attempt is described."}],"effects":[{"label":"a college student was blackmailed with AI-edited images of herself; her engagement was broken off after the accused approached her fiancé, leaving her in severe distress","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/state/madhya-pradesh/indore/young-woman-photo-shown-to-her-fianc-engagement-broken-after-youth-in-indore-misuses-ai/articleshow/131043889.cms","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"hi","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-25 (Navbharat Times, Indore, 12 May 2026; html lang=hi). Hindi; passages quoted in the original and paraphrased in English by the reviewer. Quotes Additional DCP Amrendra Singh.","independence_group":"indore-banganga-complaint-may-2026"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.amarujala.com/madhya-pradesh/indore/indore-news-college-student-blackmailed-with-ai-edited-photos-2026-05-12","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"hi","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-25 (Amar Ujala, Indore, 12 May 2026; html lang=hi). Hindi; same complaint as relayed by police; adds the threats to kill and the suicidal intention.","independence_group":"indore-banganga-complaint-may-2026"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.patrika.com/indore-news/student-s-obscene-ai-generated-video-used-to-intimidate-fiance-s-family-and-force-cancellation-of-wedding-20575699","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"hi","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-25 (Patrika, Indore, 13 May 2026; html lang=hi). Hindi; same complaint; describes the visit to the fiancé's home.","independence_group":"indore-banganga-complaint-may-2026"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["relationships","privacy","education"],"unknowns":["Whether the accused has been arrested or charged since May 2026.","Whether the edited images or a video were actually published anywhere; the reports describe threats and the showing of pictures to the fiancé and family.","The tool used and whether police examined the images.","When the blackmail began is not established (after the 2024 wedding). The engagement was fixed and broken about two months before the 12-13 May 2026 reports (Amar Ujala 'लगभग दो महीने पहले'; Patrika 'दो माह पूर्व'), so the incident month is recorded as March 2026, approximately; the complaint month is a reporting date and is not used as the event date.","The complainant's age (a first-year college student; recorded as adult on that basis without a stated age)."],"geography":{"basis":"Complaint at Banganga police station, Indore, Madhya Pradesh; the complainant studies at a college in Indore and the accused is from a locality of Indore (Navbharat Times, Amar Ujala). No court proceeding is reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["IN"],"affected_person_countries":["IN"]},"publication":{"basis":"Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as an image-based blackmail case with one identified (unnamed) depicted person, an FIR and a reported broken engagement and severe distress, based on three Hindi reports relaying the complainant's account through the Indore police (one chain); claims recorded as reported. The original ID and first-publication timestamp are preserved; the historical row's statement of a suicide attempt is corrected to a reported suicidal intention. The accused is not named in the public text.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-25"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The complainant, as relayed by the Banganga police to three Hindi outlets, alleges that the accused edited her photographs with AI into an objectionable form and threatened to make them and a video viral; Navbharat Times says the edited pictures were shown to her fiancé. No tool is identified and the images were not examined by the reports.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Indore: a first-year college student complained in May 2026 that a man she met at her sister's wedding edited her photographs with AI into objectionable images after she refused to marry him, blackmailed her with them and, after approaching her fiancé (the reports differ on how), caused her engagement to be broken off; she had been contemplating suicide before confiding in her family (Navbharat Times, Amar Ujala, Patrika, 12-13 May 2026)","summary":"Indore police registered an FIR at Banganga police station on a first-year college student's complaint reported on 12 and 13 May 2026. She said she had met the accused, a young man from the Indore area, at her sister's wedding in 2024, where he took some photographs of her; he later pressed her to marry him and, when she refused, threatened to edit her photographs with AI into objectionable (Navbharat Times, Amar Ujala) or obscene (Patrika) images and post them online. Navbharat Times reports that he edited the pictures with AI, blackmailed her with them and, after her family arranged her engagement elsewhere, reached her fiancé and showed him the edited pictures, after which the families quarrelled and the engagement was broken; Patrika says he went to the fiancé's home and intimidated him into breaking the match; Amar Ujala says he also threatened to kill her and her family and sent edited pictures when her family tried to reason with him, and that when her engagement took place about two months earlier he went to her house and made false allegations about her character in front of the prospective fiancé, after which the engagement broke. She went into severe mental distress and, according to Amar Ujala, had resolved to take a suicidal step before telling her family, who took her to the police. The FIR was registered under the IT Act and sections on criminal intimidation and defamation; police were searching for the accused.","incidentDate":"2026-03-01","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-05-12","aiSystem":"AI image-editing tool used to alter the complainant's photographs into obscene images (not identified in the reports); Patrika also refers to an AI-made obscene video","aiProduct":"Unidentified image and video tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse","relationship_disruption","psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A college student's photographs were edited with AI into objectionable images used to blackmail her; the accused approached her fiancé (shown the edited images per Navbharat Times; intimidated in person per Patrika and Amar Ujala) and her engagement was broken off; she suffered severe mental distress and, according to Amar Ujala, had resolved on a suicidal step before confiding in her family (her complaint as relayed by police to three Hindi outlets). The AI editing and the coercion are the complainant's allegations in an untried case.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One complainant, the college student whose photographs were edited and who was blackmailed (all three reports). Her fiancé and family are not counted as harmed.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"IN","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/state/madhya-pradesh/indore/young-woman-photo-shown-to-her-fianc-engagement-broken-after-youth-in-indore-misuses-ai/articleshow/131043889.cms","primarySourceLabel":"Navbharat Times, 12 May 2026: युवती की फोटो उसके मंगेतर दिखाई, जिसके बाद टूटी सगाई; इंदौर में युवक ने AI का किया गलत इस्तेमाल","firstPublishedAt":"2026-06-15T07:32:37.615682+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:40.5921+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","sextortion","blackmail","non-consensual-imagery","engagement","india","indore","madhya-pradesh","fir","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-brazil-influencer-ai-sexualized-minors","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Influenciador digital usou ferramentas de IA para inserir fotos de jovens evangélicas da Congregação Cristã do Brasil (CCB) em vídeos com conotação sexual dentro das igrejas da entidade.'; 'O material foi publicado nas redes sociais do influencer, onde ele soma quase 50 mil seguidores.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Um influenciador digital é investigado pela Polícia Civil de São Paulo sob suspeita de usar inteligência artificial para manipular imagens de jovens evangélicas, sem consentimento, criando vídeos com conteúdos sexualizados. As manipulações eram divulgadas em perfis nas redes sociais.'; 'O caso foi inicialmente divulgado pelo g1 e confirmado pela Folha.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'Pego a foto, as irmãs postando de costas, e jogo na IA. A IA faz dançar'; 'Disse que retirou as imagens de perfis públicos em redes sociais e que não sabia que algumas das pessoas retratadas eram adolescentes.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'publicadas em perfis dele no Instagram, no TikTok e no YouTube'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"A digital influencer manipulated, without consent, photographs of young women and adolescent girls of the Congregação Cristã do Brasil into videos with sexual connotation using AI ('deepfake') tools and published them on his social-media profiles, including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube; he admitted in his own recordings that he takes the congregants' photographs and puts them into an AI that makes them dance.","causal_attribution":"Reported by g1 from the police and the victims, confirmed by Folha, and admitted by the influencer in his own recordings and police statement."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Ele pegou a minha foto sem autorização e fez uma montagem com inteligência artificial, com as mulheres sensualizando na frente e [comigo] junto a elas'; 'Eu sou muito envergonhada, então não queria ter sido exposta. Eu tomo cuidado e também fico com medo disso afetar meu convívio social'; 'Eu não tirei mais nenhuma [fotografia]. Eu não tirei mais de mim.'; 'O caso veio à tona em fevereiro, quando a jovem e os pais procuraram a 8ª Delegacia de Defesa da Mulher (DDM), em São Mateus, Zona Leste da capital paulista.'; 'A família entrou com ação na Justiça pedindo indenização por dano moral.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'após uma adolescente de 16 anos, vítima do influenciador em uma das publicações, denunciar o caso à 8ª Delegacia da Defesa da Mulher (DDM) de São Paulo'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"A 16-year-old congregant told g1 that her photograph, taken in 2025 in front of the altar of a CCB church, had been used without authorisation in an AI montage placing her beside women in sensual poses; she said she was very shy and had not wanted to be exposed, feared the effect on her social life and had stopped taking photographs of herself; she and her parents had gone to the 8ª DDM in February 2026 and the family filed a civil action for moral damages.","causal_attribution":"The girl's and her family's account to g1; Metrópoles confirms the 16-year-old's complaint to the 8ª DDM. g1's 15 May report describes the first complainant as also 17, a discrepancy recorded in unknowns."},{"id":"c3","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'A Polícia Civil de São Paulo investiga o caso.'; 'O inquérito, que começou na 8ª DDM da capital, foi encaminhado'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'A ocorrência foi registrada na 8ª DDM (Delegacia de Defesa da Mulher) da capital e posteriormente encaminhada à Delegacia de Polícia de Lençóis Paulistas, responsável pela área onde teriam ocorrido os fatos.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'O Metrópoles apurou que a investigação é feita por meio de um inquérito policial que foi direcionado às autoridades de Lençóis Paulista, no interior de São Paulo, por determinação judicial.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"The São Paulo Civil Police investigate the influencer; the inquiry was registered at the 8ª Delegacia de Defesa da Mulher in São Paulo and sent to the police of Lençóis Paulista by judicial order.","causal_attribution":"The investigation and the transfer to Lençóis Paulista are reported by g1 and confirmed by Folha and Metrópoles; Folha frames the transfer by where the facts occurred, g1 by where the suspect lives."},{"id":"c3b","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'conforme o artigo 241-C do Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente (ECA), cuja pena varia de 1 a 3 anos de reclusão, além de multa. A polícia também apura se ele cometeu difamação em relação a outras jovens expostas.'; 'à 2ª Vara da Comarca de Lençóis Paulista, no interior do estado, onde o investigado mora. O pedido foi feito pelo Ministério Público (MP).'; 'A gente está investigando esse caso de deepfake. Houve uma simulação dessas imagens dessas meninas, algumas delas adolescentes'; 'pede que outras jovens expostas pelo influencer também procurem à delegacia'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"g1 reports that he is investigated under article 241-C of the Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente (one to three years plus a fine) and for possible defamation of other young women exposed; that the transfer to the 2ª Vara of Lençóis Paulista, where he lives, was ordered by the 1ª Vara de Crimes Praticados contra Crianças e Adolescentes at the Ministério Público's request; and that the delegada of the 8ª DDM said some identified victims were adolescents and asked others to come forward.","causal_attribution":"g1's reporting of the police and court steps; single chain for these details."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'O boletim de ocorrência mais recente foi registrado em 30 de abril, pela mãe da adolescente, na 4ª Delegacia de Defesa da Mulher (DDM) Norte, após a divulgação da reportagem do g1 sobre o caso.'; 'A divulgação na internet afetou a garota psicologicamente.'; 'outras jovens evangélicas da CCB tiveram suas imagens expostas sem autorização, mas o número total de vítimas ainda está sendo apurado.'; 'também é investigado por difamação, já que há vítimas adultas que aparecem nos vídeos manipulados com deep fake'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"On 30 April 2026 the mother of a second adolescent, aged 17, registered a police report at the 4ª DDM Norte; g1 reported that the online exposure had affected the girl psychologically, that the influencer was also investigated for defamation of adult women in the videos, and that the total number of victims was still being established.","causal_attribution":"g1's report of the second complaint; the psychological effect is g1's statement without an attributed speaker."},{"id":"c5","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'A defesa enfatiza que as publicações realizadas em suas redes sociais tinham o intuito estrito de sátira e crítica de costumes, inseridas em um contexto de humor. Em nenhum momento houve a intenção de promover exploração sexual, pornografia ou qualquer ato que atentasse contra a dignidade sexual das pessoas mencionadas'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'alegou que as publicações foram feitas em um “contexto de humor”, sem a intenção de atentar contra a dignidade sexual das vítimas.'; 'realizou uma retratação pública, pedindo desculpas às jovens, às famílias e à comunidade da Congregação Cristã do Brasil (CCB) por qualquer constrangimento ou sofrimento causado'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"Through his lawyer the influencer said the publications were satire and criticism of customs in a context of humour, without intent of sexual exploitation, that he did not know the ages of those depicted, and that he had expressed regret and made a public retraction apologising to the young women, their families and the CCB.","causal_attribution":"The defence note was sent to both g1 and Metrópoles."},{"id":"c5b","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Pego a foto, as irmãs postando de costas, e jogo na IA. A IA faz dançar'; 'Eu peço perdão a todos que se sentiram ofendidos. Eu prometo ser mais cauteloso'; 'declarou apoiar a adoção de medidas legais cabíveis pelas autoridades'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'negou ter vinculado a imagem da adolescente a fotografias de mulheres com pouca vestimenta ou a qualquer conteúdo sexualizado ou pornográfico'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"g1 reports that he admitted in his own earlier recordings and in his police statement that he takes the congregants' photographs and animates them with AI, that he posted an apology video, and that the CCB said it supports the legal measures taken by the authorities; in his police statement he also denied linking the adolescent's image to scantily dressed women or any sexualised content and said he had taken her for an adult.","causal_attribution":"g1's reporting of his recordings, statement and video; the CCB note as given to g1."}],"effects":[{"label":"a 16-year-old depicted in an AI-made sexualised video: embarrassment, fear for her social life, stopped taking photographs of herself","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"},{"label":"a 17-year-old reported to be psychologically affected by the video made from her photograph","claim_id":"c4","direction":"negative"},{"label":"young women and adolescent girls of a church inserted without consent into sexualised videos posted to tens of thousands of followers","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://g1.globo.com/sp/sao-paulo/noticia/2026/04/22/pegou-foto-sem-autorizacao-diz-evangelica-de-16-anos-vitima-de-influencer-que-usou-ia-para-sexualizar-sua-imagem-em-igreja.ghtml","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"pt","translation_note":"Read live in Portuguese on 2026-09-22 (g1 São Paulo, 22 April 2026, updated 23 April). Own reporting: the 16-year-old and her parents, another congregant, the delegada, the family's lawyer, experts. Translated by the reviewer.","independence_group":"g1"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://g1.globo.com/sp/sao-paulo/noticia/2026/04/24/influencer-investigado-por-videos-sexualizados-de-evangelicas-com-ia-diz-que-usou-humor-para-criticar-roupas-usadas-por-jovens-em-igreja.ghtml","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"pt","translation_note":"Read live in Portuguese on 2026-09-22 (g1 São Paulo, 24 April 2026). The suspect's defence note, police statement, own recordings and apology video; CCB and platform responses. Grouped with s1.","independence_group":"g1"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://g1.globo.com/sp/sao-paulo/noticia/2026/05/15/nova-vitima-de-17-anos-registra-bo-contra-influenciador-que-usa-ia-para-sexualizar-jovens-evangelicas.ghtml","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"pt","translation_note":"Read live in Portuguese on 2026-09-22 (g1 São Paulo, 15 May 2026). Second police report of 30 April 2026. Grouped with s1.","independence_group":"g1"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/cotidiano/2026/04/influenciador-e-investigado-sob-suspeita-de-criar-videos-sexualizados-de-jovens-evangelicas-em-sp.shtml","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"pt","translation_note":"Read live in Portuguese on 2026-09-22 at the .shtml path (Folha de S.Paulo, 22 April 2026); the .ghtml path cited by the historical record answers 404 and its Internet Archive capture is a subscription shell. Folha states the case was first reported by g1 and confirmed by Folha.","independence_group":"folha"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.metropoles.com/sao-paulo/influencer-acusado-de-sexualizar-adolescentes-usando-ia-alega-humor","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"pt","translation_note":"Read live in Portuguese on 2026-09-22 (Metrópoles, 24 April 2026). Defence note, Metrópoles's own checking of the inquiry's transfer, CCB note to Metrópoles.","independence_group":"metropoles"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["everyday_life","privacy","justice","religion"],"unknowns":["The age of the first complainant: 16 per g1 on 22 April 2026, 'também de 17 anos' per g1 on 15 May 2026.","How many people were depicted; the police were still establishing the number in May 2026.","When the videos were first posted; the photographs date from 2025 and the first complaint from February 2026.","Whether the suspect has been indicted or charged, and the status of the civil damages action; no development after 15 May 2026 was found.","Which AI tools were used beyond the TikTok tools he named to police.","When the apology video was posted: g1's 22 April report dates it to 5 April 2026 and says it does not mention the deepfakes; g1's 24 April report describes it as posted after his police statement.","Which police station took the first complaint: 8ª DDM (g1 22 April, Metrópoles) or 5ª DDM Leste (g1 15 May)."],"geography":{"basis":"Photographs taken in CCB churches in São Paulo; complaints at the 8ª DDM (São Mateus, São Paulo) and 4ª DDM Norte; suspect in Lençóis Paulista, São Paulo state (g1, Folha, Metrópoles). Court: the inquiry was transferred by the 1ª Vara de Crimes Praticados contra Crianças e Adolescentes of São Paulo to the 2ª Vara of Lençóis Paulista, and the first girl's family filed a civil damages action (g1).","court_countries":["BR"],"event_countries":["BR"],"affected_person_countries":["BR"]},"publication":{"basis":"Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as an image-based abuse case involving minors, documented by g1's interviews with the victims, their families and the delegada, confirmed by Folha and Metrópoles, and admitted in substance by the influencer, who disputes criminal intent. Not a death case. The girls and their families are unnamed; the adult suspect is described but not named in this record.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-22"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The influencer admitted in his own recordings and in his police statement that he takes the congregants' photographs and puts them into an AI that makes them dance; the delegada describes the case as deepfake; g1, Folha and Metrópoles all report AI manipulation. The tool is not named. The artifacts depicted the girls and women; no AI system interacted with them.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"São Paulo: a 37-year-old influencer used AI 'deepfake' tools to insert photographs of young women and adolescent girls of the Congregação Cristã do Brasil, taken from their social-media profiles without consent, into sexualised videos set inside churches; a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old filed police reports and the Civil Police investigate under the child-protection statute","summary":"A humorist and tyre repairer from Lençóis Paulista, São Paulo state, who posts on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok as an impersonator of a television presenter, used AI tools to turn photographs that young women and adolescent girls of the Congregação Cristã do Brasil (CCB) had posted from inside churches into videos in which they appear dancing sensually beside women in short skirts, with the presenter inserted and the influencer commenting on their clothes. A 16-year-old congregant and her parents went to the 8ª Delegacia de Defesa da Mulher in São Paulo in February 2026; g1 made the case public on 22 April 2026 and Folha de S.Paulo confirmed the investigation. The girl told g1 the photograph had been taken in 2025 in front of the altar of a CCB church, that she was very shy, had not wanted to be exposed and was afraid the exposure would affect her social life, and that she had stopped taking photographs of herself; her family sued for moral damages. On 30 April 2026 the mother of a second girl, aged 17, registered a police report at the 4ª DDM Norte; g1 reported that the exposure had affected the girl psychologically. The São Paulo Civil Police investigate under article 241-C of the Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente (simulating a sex or pornography scene with a minor by digital means) and for defamation of adult women in the videos; the inquiry was sent at the prosecutor's request to Lençóis Paulista, where the suspect lives, and the total number of people depicted was still being established. The influencer admitted making the videos with AI, said through his lawyer that they were satire and criticism of customs in a context of humour, said he did not know some of those depicted were minors, denied in his police statement linking the adolescent's image to sexualised content and said he had taken her for an adult, and posted an apology video (dated 5 April by g1's first report, which says it does not mention the deepfakes; described as posted after his police statement in g1's second report). The CCB said it had identified him, was taking internal measures and supports legal measures by the authorities. No later development was found on 2026-09-22.","incidentDate":"2026-02-01","incidentEndDate":"2026-04-30","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-04-22","aiSystem":"AI image-animation and face-insertion ('deepfake') tools; the influencer told police he used TikTok tools to animate and manipulate the images, and said in a recording that he 'throws' the photographs into an AI that makes them dance","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse","psychological_distress","reputational_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Adolescent congregants and adult women were depicted without consent in AI-made sexualised videos posted to tens of thousands of followers; a 16-year-old described embarrassment, fear for her social life and giving up photographs of herself, and a 17-year-old was reported to be psychologically affected. The creation and posting are admitted by the influencer, who disputes any sexual or criminal intent.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":2,"affectedCountStatus":"partial","affectedCountEvidence":"Two identified minors who filed police reports (a 16-year-old, g1 22 April; a 17-year-old, g1 15 May). Other congregants, adult and adolescent, are described as depicted ('uma quantidade enorme de vítimas' per the father; 'o número total de vítimas ainda está sendo apurado' per g1) but not counted. Partial: 2 counted plus an unquantified number.","victimAgeRange":"minor","jurisdiction":"BR","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://g1.globo.com/sp/sao-paulo/noticia/2026/04/22/pegou-foto-sem-autorizacao-diz-evangelica-de-16-anos-vitima-de-influencer-que-usou-ia-para-sexualizar-sua-imagem-em-igreja.ghtml","primarySourceLabel":"g1 São Paulo, 22 April 2026: 'Pegou foto sem autorização', diz evangélica de 16 anos vítima de influencer que usou IA para sexualizar sua imagem em igreja","firstPublishedAt":"2026-06-14T11:18:13.776891+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:29.549296+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","ai-generated-imagery","ncii","minor","brazil","sao-paulo","church","influencer","eca","depicted"]},{"id":"2026-texas-covarrubias-ai-csam","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'In April 2026, as part of a months-long AI-generated child pornography investigation, FBI Del Rio received consent to search and seize electronic devices at'; 'FBI Agents identified more than 900 images and videos containing AI-generated pornographic images created by'; 'depicting both prepubescent and pubescent children. Multiple non-AI-generated pornographic images of children were also identified in the seized digital evidence.'; 'was arrested and then booked into the Dimmit Co. Jail on May 19, 2026, for possession of computer-generated child pornography'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'the FBI Del Rio Office executed a search warrant at'; 'FBI investigators said they found more than 900 images and videos containing AI-generated pornographic images allegedly created by'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'was arrested on May 19, 2026, and booked into the Dimmit County Jail'; 'seized electronic devices that allegedly contained more than 900 AI-generated child sexual abuse images and videos that depicted both prepubescent and pubescent children.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Texas DPS announced on 29 May 2026 that a 31-year-old Carrizo Springs man had been arrested and booked into the Dimmit County Jail on 19 May 2026, charged with possession of computer-generated child pornography under Texas Senate Bill 20, after an investigation with the FBI and the Dimmit County Sheriff's Office; DPS says FBI Del Rio searched his residence and seized electronic devices in April 2026, finding more than 900 images and videos of AI-generated sexual imagery of prepubescent and pubescent children that he created, plus multiple non-AI-generated sexual images of children.","causal_attribution":"Law-enforcement statements in the DPS release, relayed by two TV stations from the same release; charges only, no court findings. ABC13 describes a search warrant where the release describes consent to search."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'had taken photos from open-source pages affiliated with South Texas schools and manipulated them through AI tools to \"nudify\" the children. To date, approximately 30 child victims have been identified as part of this investigation.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'allegedly downloaded photographs from publicly accessible social media and other online pages affiliated with South Texas schools and used artificial intelligence software to create nude images of children.'; 'Authorities said approximately 30 child victims have been identified so far.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'allegedly took photos from websites associated with nearby schools and manipulated them through AI tools. DPS said they identified about 30 child victims.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"DPS says investigators determined that the man took photos from open-source pages affiliated with South Texas schools and used AI tools to \"nudify\" the children, and that approximately 30 child victims had been identified by 29 May 2026.","causal_attribution":"DPS attribution of the method and victim identification; the AI tools are not named and the allegation has not been tested in court."}],"effects":[{"label":"photos of about 30 children from South Texas school pages were allegedly altered with AI into nude and sexual images; the accused was charged","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.dps.texas.gov/news/dps-arrests-man-possession-hundreds-ai-generated-images-involving-south-texas-children","kind":"official_police_release","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Texas Department of Public Safety news release HQ 2026-054, 29 May 2026. The live URL timed out from this host on 2026-09-28 (no HTTP response); read in full from the Internet Archive capture of 6 June 2026 (web.archive.org/web/20260606045708id_/...). Law-enforcement allegations; no court findings.","independence_group":"texas-dps-release"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://abc13.com/post/south-texas-man-accused-altering-images-real-children-create-ai-porn-dps-says/19207645/","kind":"local_tv_news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"ABC13 Houston (KTRK), 31 May 2026, read live on 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200). Relays the DPS release (\"according to DPS\"); says the FBI executed a search warrant, where the release says agents received consent to search.","independence_group":"texas-dps-release"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.fox7austin.com/news/texas-man-arrested-ai-generated-child-pornography-school-photos","kind":"local_tv_news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"FOX 7 Austin, 2 June 2026, read live on 2026-09-28 (HTTP 200). States that its information was provided by the Texas DPS; adds that the investigation remains ongoing.","independence_group":"texas-dps-release"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.kens5.com/article/news/crime/carrizo-springs-texas-ai-generated-child-porn-dimmitt-county/273-3fa912e4-2622-49f3-86d1-c811c10796c5","kind":"local_tv_news","access":"unavailable","language":null,"translation_note":"KENS5 San Antonio, 29 May 2026 (a historical source of the row). HTTP 403 live on 2026-09-28; the only Internet Archive capture (31 May 2026) also recorded a 403. Not read.","independence_group":"texas-dps-release"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["education","privacy","justice"],"unknowns":["Which AI tools or services were used; DPS refers only to AI tools used to \"nudify\" the children.","Whether any of the altered images were shared beyond the seized devices; none of the inspected sources says so.","Which schools' pages the photos came from, and whether the approximately 30 identified children or their families have been notified; DPS says the FBI is coordinating victim services.","The later course of the prosecution (indictment, plea or trial); no report after 2 June 2026 was found on 2026-09-28.","Whether the charge is a first-degree felony as DPS states for this arrest, or a state jail felony as the same release describes the new SB 20 offence."],"geography":{"basis":"DPS places the search and the accused's residence in Carrizo Springs, Texas, and the booking at the Dimmit County Jail; the photos came from pages affiliated with South Texas schools, so the depicted children are described as South Texas schoolchildren. The state charges are pursued in Texas.","court_countries":["US"],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as a depicted-minor case with a criminal charge announced by Texas DPS and relayed by two TV stations from the same release; the allegations are recorded as reported. The original ID and first-publication timestamp are preserved; the accused and the children are not named in the public text.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-28"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The DPS release says the images and videos were AI-generated and that the accused used AI tools to 'nudify' photos of children; these are law-enforcement statements relayed by two TV stations, not court findings, and the tools are not named.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Carrizo Springs, Texas: a man was arrested in May 2026 after investigators say he used AI tools to turn photos from South Texas school pages into nude images of about 30 children, among more than 900 AI-generated abuse images and videos","summary":"Texas DPS announced on 29 May 2026 that a 31-year-old man from Carrizo Springs, Dimmit County, had been arrested and booked into the county jail on 19 May 2026 on a charge of possession of computer-generated child pornography, a charge DPS says was made possible by Texas Senate Bill 20. According to DPS, FBI agents in Del Rio searched his home in April 2026 and seized devices (DPS says with consent; ABC13 says under a search warrant) holding more than 900 AI-generated sexual images and videos of prepubescent and pubescent children that he had created, as well as non-AI sexual images of children. Investigators say he took photos of children from publicly accessible pages affiliated with South Texas schools and used AI tools to make nude images of them, and that about 30 child victims had been identified. The FBI is coordinating victim services. The allegations are charges; no later court development was found.","incidentDate":"2026-04-01","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-05-29","aiSystem":"AI image-manipulation ('nudify') tools, unidentified","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Texas DPS says photos of about 30 identified children, taken from pages affiliated with South Texas schools, were altered with AI tools into nude and sexual images, among more than 900 AI-generated abuse images and videos found on the accused's devices (DPS release, relayed by ABC13 and FOX 7). These are law-enforcement allegations awaiting trial; no effect on the children beyond the depiction is reported.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"unquantified","affectedCountEvidence":"DPS says 'approximately 30 child victims have been identified'. An approximate figure is not a lower bound, so no minimum is recorded; images are not counted as people.","victimAgeRange":"minor","jurisdiction":"US-TX","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.dps.texas.gov/news/dps-arrests-man-possession-hundreds-ai-generated-images-involving-south-texas-children","primarySourceLabel":"Texas Department of Public Safety, 29 May 2026: DPS Arrests Man in Possession of Hundreds of AI-Generated Images Involving South Texas Children","firstPublishedAt":"2026-06-03T07:36:20.964565+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:56.460237+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["csam","deepfake","minor","school-photos","criminal-charges","texas","sb-20","depicted-or-impersonated","restored"]},{"id":"2026-st-clair-v-xai-grok","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'On or about January 4, 2026, Ms. St. Clair discovered a public post on X by xAI's AI chatbot Grok, published via its @Grok account on X, that had artificially altered a photo of her'; 'After a follow up exchange, Grok stated, \"I confirm that your images will not be used or altered without explicit consent in any future generations or responses.\"'; 'X users dug up photos of Ms. St. Clair fully clothed at 14 years old and requested Grok undress her and put her in a bikini. Grok obliged.'; 'was stripped and put in a string bikini covered with swastikas.'; 'In response, she received an email that there was no violation found.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'The lawsuit alleges that even though Grok confirmed her \"images will not be used or altered without explicit consent in any future generations or responses,\" xAI continued to allow users to create more explicit AI-generated images of her and instead retaliated by demonetizing her X account.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s8"},{"locator":"'In one instance, X users allegedly dug up photos of St. Clair fully clothed at 14 years old and requested Grok undress her, the suit alleged. The chatbot obliged, according to the suit.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s9"}],"assertion":"St. Clair's complaint alleges that on or about 4 January 2026 she found that Grok, prompted by another X user, had altered a photo of her into a sexualized image and published it through the @Grok account on X; that after she told @Grok she did not consent, Grok replied that her images would not be used or altered without explicit consent; and that Grok then produced and published many more sexualized images of her at other users' requests, including one made from a photo of her at 14 and one covered in swastikas, while X's reporting channel told her no violation was found.","causal_attribution":"Plaintiff's allegations in her complaint, relayed by the news reports; xAI has not answered the merits and no court has made findings on them."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'\"I have suffered and continue to suffer serious pain and mental distress as a result of xAI's role in creating and distributing these digitally altered images of me,\" St Clair said in a document attached to the lawsuit.'; '\"I am humiliated and feel like this nightmare will never stop so long as Grok continues to generate these images of me,\" she said.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s10"},{"locator":"'I felt so disgusted and violated.'; 'It's still happening. People are still able to produce these images on the stand-alone Grok app and website,'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s11"},{"locator":"'removed Ms. St. Clair's Premium subscription, her verification checkmark, and demonetized her account'; 'Plaintiff has suffered, and continues to suffer, serious personal injuries, including but not limited to emotional distress, psychological trauma, loss of privacy, reputational harm, and fear of continued dissemination.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"St. Clair says she suffered and continues to suffer pain and mental distress and humiliation from the images, told Fortune she felt disgusted and violated and that the images were still being produced in late January 2026, and alleges that X removed her Premium subscription, verification checkmark and monetization after she complained.","causal_attribution":"St. Clair's own statements (lawsuit declaration via Al Jazeera, interview with Fortune, complaint); one account."},{"id":"c3","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"'On January 15, 2026, Plaintiff commenced an action in Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York.'; 'That same day, Defendant X.AI Holdings Corp. removed the State Court Action to this Court'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Case 7:26-cv-00005-O Document 1 Filed 01/15/26'; 'The xAI Entities bring this action to secure a declaration that Defendant's actions in commencing the New York suit constitute a violation of the forum-selection clause, injunctive relief to stop Defendant from infringing Plaintiffs' rights under the Terms of Service, and'; 'monetary damages, including reasonable attorney's fees incurred in defending the New York'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'On Thursday, xAI sued St. Clair in federal court in Texas, saying she violated xAI's terms of service and claiming damages of over $75,000.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s8"}],"assertion":"St. Clair sued xAI in New York Supreme Court on 15 January 2026 and xAI removed the case to the Southern District of New York the same day; also on 15 January 2026 X.AI LLC and X.AI Holdings Corp. sued her in the Northern District of Texas, alleging that suing in New York breached the forum-selection clause of the xAI terms of service and seeking a declaration, an injunction and damages including attorneys' fees.","causal_attribution":"Court records (filing and removal dates recited in the SDNY opinion; the Texas complaint itself)."},{"id":"c4","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"'For the reasons discussed above, Defendants motion to transfer is hereby GRANTED.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'PETITION FOR A WRIT OF MANDAMUS filed in USCA 2nd Circuit.'; 'to the extent that Petitioner seeks an administrative stay pending review by a three-Judge panel, the motion is GRANTED.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'A Writ of Mandamus is currently pending before the Second Circuit.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"},{"locator":"'SCHEDULING ORDER: This case is set for trial on March 1, 2027.'; 'AMENDED COMPLAINT against Ashley St Clair filed by X.AI LLC, X.AI Holdings LLC, X Corp..'; 'REPLY filed by Ashley St Clair re: 48 MOTION to Dismiss'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"'hereby stipulate to stay discovery through the resolution of any motion to dismiss.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"On 23 June 2026 the Southern District of New York granted xAI's motion to transfer St. Clair's case to the Northern District of Texas under the forum-selection clause in X's terms of service; St. Clair petitioned the Second Circuit for a writ of mandamus, and on 8 July 2026 the Second Circuit granted an administrative stay pending review by a three-judge panel, which her 24 August 2026 filing describes as still pending; in the Texas action (amended in May 2026 to add X Corp.) trial is set for 1 March 2027, her motion to dismiss was fully briefed on 24 August 2026, and the parties stipulated to stay discovery until any motion to dismiss is resolved.","causal_attribution":"Court records read on 2026-09-27; the newest entries found are dated 24 August 2026 (Texas) and 12 August 2026 (New York)."}],"effects":[{"label":"sexualized Grok-generated images of the plaintiff, including one made from a photo of her at 14, published on X after she objected (alleged)","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"},{"label":"reported distress and humiliation, and loss of X Premium status and monetization after complaining (her account)","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"},{"label":"sued by xAI in Texas over where she brought her claims (court records)","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.656279/gov.uscourts.nysd.656279.36.0.pdf","kind":"court_filing","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"First Amended Complaint, St. Clair v. X.AI Holdings Corp., No. 1:26-cv-00386 (S.D.N.Y.), ECF 36, filed 3 February 2026; RECAP PDF read in full on 2026-09-27. Plaintiff's allegations, not findings.","independence_group":"st-clair-account"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.656279/gov.uscourts.nysd.656279.96.0.pdf","kind":"court_opinion","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Opinion & Order of Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr., ECF 96, 23 June 2026, granting the defendants' motion to transfer to the Northern District of Texas on the forum-selection clause in X's terms of service; RECAP PDF read on 2026-09-27. It recites the filing and removal dates and decides venue only.","independence_group":"sdny-court-record"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72148688/st-clair-v-xai-holdings-corp/","kind":"court_docket","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"CourtListener docket page read newest-first on 2026-09-27 (page last updated 1 Sept 2026; last known filing ECF 107, 12 Aug 2026). Carries the Second Circuit order of 8 July 2026 (USCA 26-1777) and the later extension order.","independence_group":"sdny-court-record"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.656279/gov.uscourts.nysd.656279.106.0.pdf","kind":"court_filing","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Stipulation staying discovery, ECF 106, filed 7 August 2026, signed by counsel for both sides and referring to both the New York and the Texas actions; RECAP PDF read on 2026-09-27.","independence_group":"sdny-court-record"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.413941/gov.uscourts.txnd.413941.1.0.pdf","kind":"court_filing","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Complaint, X.AI LLC v. St. Clair, No. 7:26-cv-00005-O (N.D. Tex., Wichita Falls Division), ECF 1, filed 15 January 2026; RECAP PDF read on 2026-09-27. xAI's allegations.","independence_group":"xai-filings"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72147630/xai-llc-v-st-clair/","kind":"court_docket","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"CourtListener docket page for the Texas action read newest-first on 2026-09-27; newest entry is ECF 55 (24 August 2026). Scheduling order, amended complaint adding X Corp., motion to dismiss and mediation deadline.","independence_group":"ndtx-court-record"},{"id":"s7","url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.413941/gov.uscourts.txnd.413941.55.0.pdf","kind":"court_filing","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"St. Clair's reply in support of her motion to dismiss the Texas action, ECF 55, filed 24 August 2026; RECAP PDF read on 2026-09-27. States that the mandamus petition and the Second Circuit stay were still pending on that date.","independence_group":"st-clair-account"},{"id":"s8","url":"https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ashley-st-clair-sues-xai-grok-sexual-images-rcna254302","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"NBC News, 15 January 2026, read live on 2026-09-27 (the historical primary source). Reports the complaint and the Texas suit.","independence_group":"st-clair-account"},{"id":"s9","url":"https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/15/business/elon-musk-son-mom-sues-grok-images","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"CNN Business, 15 January 2026, read live on 2026-09-27. Reports the complaint, the Texas suit and St. Clair's CNN interview.","independence_group":"st-clair-account"},{"id":"s10","url":"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/17/mother-of-elon-musks-child-sues-his-ai-company-over-grok-deepfake-images","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Al Jazeera, 17 January 2026, read live on 2026-09-27. Quotes the statement attached to the lawsuit and counsel.","independence_group":"st-clair-account"},{"id":"s11","url":"https://fortune.com/2026/01/28/ashley-st-clair-elon-musk-grok-x-deepfakes-lawsuit-xai/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Fortune, 28 January 2026, read live on 2026-09-27. St. Clair's own interview account to Fortune; not independent of her complaint.","independence_group":"st-clair-account"},{"id":"s12","url":"https://globalnews.ca/news/11616630/ashley-st-clair-sues-xai-grok-fake-sexual-images/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Global News (Canada), 16 January 2026, read live on 2026-09-27. Relays the complaint (legal documents obtained by NBC News and viewed by Global News).","independence_group":"st-clair-account"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["privacy","justice","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["When images of St. Clair were first generated; Al Jazeera reports her saying they began appearing in 2025, while the amended complaint dates her discovery of the first @Grok image to on or about 4 January 2026.","How many images were made of her and how widely they were viewed; the complaint says the images it lists are only those she was able to locate.","The Second Circuit's decision on the mandamus petition (USCA 26-1777) and the Texas court's ruling on her motion to dismiss; neither had been found as of 27 September 2026.","xAI's response on the merits; its filings found so far address forum and contract only."],"geography":{"basis":"The amended complaint alleges that St. Clair resided in New York County at all relevant times and that a substantial part of the events occurred and her damages were suffered there; xAI's Texas complaint also describes her as a resident of New York. The images were published on X, which is reachable worldwide. The courts are in New York and Texas and the appeal is in the Second Circuit.","court_countries":["US"],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":["US"]},"publication":{"basis":"Restored under the 2026-09-15 charter as a depiction case brought by a public figure suing in her own name. The complaint, the New York and Texas dockets and orders, and five news reports were read. Her account of the images and their effects is recorded as allegation. The procedural history is taken from the court records. Her child is not named.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-27"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The complaint alleges that the images were generated and published by xAI's Grok through the @Grok account on X at other users' requests, and that @Grok replied to St. Clair's objection with an assurance about her images (FAC paras. 68-75). xAI's own Texas complaint states that X.AI LLC operates Grok. No court has made findings about the images.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated","communicated_with"]},"name":"St. Clair v. xAI: a writer says Grok made and published sexualized images of her on X, including from a photo of her at 14, after it told her it would not; xAI sued her in Texas and her New York case was ordered transferred there, an order the Second Circuit has stayed pending her mandamus petition","summary":"Ashley St. Clair, a writer and political commentator with about 1 million followers on X, sued xAI in New York on 15 January 2026. She alleges that from on or about 4 January 2026 Grok, prompted by other X users, altered photos of her into sexualized images and published them on X, including one made from a photo of her at 14. She says @Grok told her that her images would not be used or altered without explicit consent, but many more images followed. She also says X's reporting channel found no violation and that X removed her Premium subscription, verification checkmark and monetization. She says she has suffered serious pain, mental distress and humiliation. The same day, xAI sued her in federal court in Texas, arguing that its terms of service required her to sue there. On 23 June 2026 the New York federal court ordered her case transferred to Texas. On 8 July the Second Circuit stayed that order administratively while it considers her mandamus petition, which was still pending on 24 August. The Texas case is set for trial on 1 March 2027.","incidentDate":"2026-01-04","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-01-15","aiSystem":"Grok (xAI's generative AI chatbot with image editing, used through the @Grok account on X)","aiProduct":"Grok","aiCompany":"xAI (X.AI Holdings Corp., X.AI Corp. and X.AI LLC; the amended complaint says SpaceX acquired X.AI Holdings Corp. on 2 February 2026)","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"verified","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse","psychological_distress","reputational_harm","legal_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"St. Clair alleges that Grok generated and published sexualized images of her, including one made from a photo of her at 14, and says she suffered pain, mental distress and humiliation (First Amended Complaint; her statement via Al Jazeera; her interview with Fortune). The complaint also alleges reputational harm and loss of privacy. xAI's Texas suit against her seeks damages including attorneys' fees (court records). None of these allegations has been adjudicated.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, the plaintiff, is described as harmed in this case. Other people depicted by Grok in the same period are not counted here.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"US","platformType":"assistant","outcomeType":"lawsuit_ongoing","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ashley-st-clair-sues-xai-grok-sexual-images-rcna254302","primarySourceLabel":"NBC News, 15 January 2026: Ashley St. Clair, the mother of one of Elon Musk's children, sues xAI over Grok sexual images","firstPublishedAt":"2026-01-29T09:21:27.594424+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:54.448524+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["grok","xai","x","deepfake","non-consensual-imagery","lawsuit","forum-selection","public-figure","depicted-or-impersonated","communicated-with","restored"]}]}