Using recordings of real people, today’s AI-based tools can generate deceptively realistic images, videos, and audio – often with serious consequences, especially for schoolchildren or young adults. In the DEEP-PRISMA project, experts on technology assessment at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are investigating how people deal with abusive fakes and are working with them to develop strategies against deepfake abuse. The project, which is funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, is also reviewing the current legal situation.


The number of deepfakes shared online is growing rapidly. AI-based tools can now create media content that even experts can hardly distinguish from genuine video and audio. Such fakes are often used for fraudulent purposes, e.g. to gain access to passwords, bank accounts, or trade secrets. “But the majority consists of sexualized or pornographic content. Studies indicate that about 98 percent of deepfakes are pornographic, and 99 percent of those portray female individuals,” said Dr. Jutta Jahnel from KIT’s Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS). Jahnel has been studying the impact of digital image manipulation for many years. She noted, however, that exact figures are difficult to determine due to the high number of unreported cases and rapid technological developments.


Social Media: a Deepfake Multiplier

“Because of their reach and frequent lack of moderation, social media are especially susceptible to the spread of such content. That can have severe consequences for those whose images are used without their consent,” Jahnel said. She heads the DEEP-PRISMA project, which was launched in February 2026 with the aim of “protecting privacy and other citizens’ rights from misuse through deepfakes.”


The project focuses on young people whose privacy rights are violated by such fakes. “So far little is known about how victims actually deal with deepfake abuse: whether they take legal action, seek psychological support, or change their online behavior,” Jahnel said.


Targeted Support Based on Solid Data

The researchers’ goal is to use broad-based surveys of schoolchildren and young adults to acquire reliable data on how victims deal with deepfakes. Based on the acquired data, project staff will invite members of this especially vulnerable group to take part in moderated discussions.


They will then work together to develop a practical package of recommended actions and information on initiatives and points of contact, e.g. for use at schools or in youth work. “Such an ‘action kit’ could help schoolchildren who are confronted with sexualized deepfakes by showing them initial steps to preserve evidence, referring them to counseling services, and explaining their legal options,” said Dr. Dana Mahr, an ITAS scientist on the project team.


Reviewing Legal Regulations

In cooperation with the project partners, DEEP-PRISMA will also assess existing legal regulations, such as the Digital Services Act or the European Union’s AI Act, and their enforcement. “Though there’s a wide range of regulations on creating and disseminating deepfakes, in practice they’re often too generally formulated and thus inadequate for prosecuting abuse,” Jahnel said, adding that another complicating factor is that perpetrators often remain anonymous in the online world and many cases of abuse are never reported. Thus, another goal of DEEP-PRISMA is to draw up recommendations for the improvement of existing regulations.


Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space is funding the project for three years. Partners in the project include the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI), the International Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities at the University of Tübingen (IZEW), and the department of Public Law, IT Law and Environmental Law at the University of Kassel.


German Parliament Deepfake Study

The Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag (TAB), which is operated by ITAS, provides a concise summary of deepfake technologies, their social impact, and the associated legal challenges. The report, which was presented in the Bundestag in December 2025 and has now been published, describes possible courses of action for policymakers, businesses, and civil society.


DEEP-PRISMA project website

TAB report


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