Understood: Deepfake Porn Empire Introducing Understood: Deepfake Porn Empire
Feb 13, 2026
A deep dive into how non-consensual AI-made porn spread across platforms and online subcultures. The reporter traces the industry back to a single notorious website and the person behind it. Stories from targets reveal the personal harm and violation caused. An international journalistic hunt follows clues that lead to an unexpected Canadian connection.
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Deepfake Porn Was Built Not Born
- Deepfake porn emerged from people, platforms, and subcultures rather than as an abstract tech threat.
- Sam Cole traces the growth from online communities and permissive platforms to a billion-click industry that harmed mostly women.
Regulatory Inaction Fueled The Industry
- The ecosystem allowed deepfakes to spread while governments and tech companies failed to act.
- That regulatory and platform inaction let profiteers benefit while mostly women bore the harms.
Seeing Yourself In A Fake Video Feels Like Violation
- Sam Cole describes the visceral reaction of a target seeing herself in a video she never consented to make.
- She recounts the violation and resolve: seeing herself naked online prompted action rather than passive acceptance.