Features Q&A
Q&A: Law enforcement’s battle against deepfake exploitation

Recently, editor Brittani Schroeder spoke with Heather Mahalik Barnhart, a digital forensic expert, about how the influx of explicit deepfakes is adding to the rising rate of internet crimes against children (ICAC), the challenges law enforcement faces in investigating these cases, and the role digital forensics plays in this new era.

Q: Can you explain what a deep fake is, and how they are now coming into criminal territory?

A deepfake is a piece of media such as a video, photo or audio recording that seems legitimate but has been manipulated with deep learning, which is a method in artificial intelligence (AI) that teaches the computer to process data inspired by how the human brain thinks.

As this technology evolves, it becomes more and more appealing to criminals and makes it easier to create explicit materials. For example, bad actors are using deepfakes to extort people for money and spread misinformation by pretending to be someone they are not. More recently, law enforcement across North America has seen an alarming increase in the use of deepfake child sexual abuse material (CSAM). As an example, the U.S. Department of Justice recently charged a Wisconsin man for allegedly producing and distributing deepfake CSAM material.

Q: How significant is this problem?

Every day, centres like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection receive tens of thousands of new reports of online child sexual exploitation.

Children on online platforms are prime targets for predators who are, sadly, masters of manipulation – often posing as a child of a similar age. Some of these criminals also produce and share fake CSAM, accelerating the rising rate of cases.

Q: What challenges does law enforcement face while investigating these cases?

Law enforcement agencies at all levels are buried in the chilling volume of child sexual abuse cases. These teams are often under-resourced and overwhelmed by the scale and complexity of these investigations, with a 2024 Industry Trends survey finding that for all crime types, six out of 10 investigators agree their team does not have time to review and analyze all digital data. As the impact of deepfakes on CSAM continues to grow, agencies must have access to the most comprehensive investigative tools and resources available to protect those most vulnerable.

Q: What role does digital forensics play in this new era of criminal activity?

There is hope, and it lies in digital forensic technology which is critical when investigating deepfake CSAM. My team recently compared AI images with real images and the research found that AI images are missing key data, which can give you a great starting point in your investigation.

AI-powered digital forensics technology helps law enforcement quickly sift through data, which surfaces evidence quicker and helps ease case backlogs. For example, utilizing features such as skin detection can help investigators identify images that may be CSAM. In cases involving multiple devices, AI-powered digital analytics solutions can help law enforcement quickly connect the dots in cases.

Through efforts like “Operation Find Them All,” an initiative designed to accelerate investigations of online crimes against children, digital forensics professionals are committed to empowering law enforcement worldwide with the most advanced digital investigative capabilities, innovative tools and comprehensive training to confront this crisis head-on.

Q: Looking ahead, do you see the problem getting worse?

As AI technology evolves, and with it, the criminal use of deepfakes and other social engineering techniques, law enforcement must stay vigilant. This important work drives us to research and innovate – using the good that comes with technology to fight the bad. By leveraging AI-powered digital forensic technology, law enforcement can speed up investigations and ultimately accelerate justice for innocent children.