The Deepfake Watchlist: Week of June 19-25, 2026

The Deepfake Watchlist for the week of June 19-25, 2026, highlights various incidents and developments in the realm of synthetic media, focusing on unauthorized cloning of voices and likenesses, legislative advancements, and the burgeoning issue of deepfake scams. A key incident involved the unauthorized cloning of the late voice actor Phil Sayer's voice, prompting discussions on intellectual property rights as the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee advances the NO FAKES Act to establish federal rights over personal likenesses. Meanwhile, the Lovo case, a significant lawsuit addressing unauthorized voice cloning, collapsed due to the company's bankruptcy, highlighting the slow pace of legal remedies. Additionally, there is a surge in deepfake scams involving celebrity likenesses, while Cate Blanchett's nonprofit launched a Human Consent Registry to help individuals protect their identities from unauthorized AI use. These developments underscore the need for proactive measures such as marking and authorizing digital content, as well as the challenges of enforcing rights post-violation.