DEEPFAKE AS AN EMERGING CRIME: A VICTIMOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Deepfake technology has created major threats to digital hijacking victims, including the denial of privacy, erosion of personal space, and social media abuse. This research describes deepfake as a new type of crime, and focuses on the significant psychological and social harms resulting from these technologies for its victims. This paper classifies victimization from deepfake to three general categories: non-consensual pornography; identity theft; and financial fraud; highlighting the emotional trauma and stigma that deepfaking affords victims. It also analyses the legal framework, emphazising limitations in existing legislation, that are insufficient to adequately tackle the multi-faceted risks from the misuse of deepfakes. Deeping on the literature in legal studies, psychology, and gender studies, the study builds consensus toward the prompt need for legal reforms and preventative measures. These include the development of specific laws designed to protect victims, improving education and training in digitalfield, and international cooperation across jurisdictions, to help curb the spread of threats associated with deepfaking. Finally, this paper seeks to investigate the intricate interaction of technology, law and victimhood, laying a basis for collective action in a new context of crime. At the heart of this is placing the voices and the rights of victims of crime at the forefront of a swiftly evolving digital terrain. With deepfake technology advancing, a victim-centred as well as, an interdisciplinary response is necessary to protect trust, security and human dignity in the electronic age.