AI Work FluencyEU AI Act glossary

Deepfake Deepfake

Verified: 2026-08-04 · Legal source: 3. cikk 60. pont, 50. cikk (4)–(5)

Short definition

A deepfake is AI-generated or manipulated image, audio or video content that resembles existing persons, objects, places or events and would falsely appear to a person to be authentic or truthful. A deployer that publishes such content must disclose its artificial origin in a manner that is perceptible to humans.

The concept is defined in Article 3(60), the disclosure duty in Article 50(4) and (5). The obligation falls on the deployer, not the provider: anyone who makes deepfake content public must disclose that it has been artificially generated or manipulated. A narrow exception applies where the content forms part of an evidently artistic, creative, satirical, fictional or analogous work — in that case an appropriate disclosure that does not hamper the exhibition or enjoyment of the work suffices. With effect from 2 December 2026, the Digital Omnibus also added two new, deepfake-related prohibitions to Article 5: AI-based generation or manipulation of non-consensual intimate content and of material depicting child sexual abuse is now prohibited outright, not merely subject to labelling. In a marketing context, an ordinary AI-generated image or text that does not depict a real person in a deceptive way does not fall under the deepfake concept.

Why this matters for an EU SME

An AI-generated marketing image that does not depict a real, recognisable person in a deceptive way is not a deepfake — but if a company publishes AI-altered video or audio of a real person, it must label it.

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Related terms

Related questions in the knowledge base (Hungarian)

This page is general information, not legal advice. It does not substitute for a legal assessment of a specific case and does not create a retainer or attorney-client relationship. The legal status was verified on 4 August 2026 against primary sources; where the law or regulatory practice is uncertain, this is flagged separately.