Is it legal to make an AI video of a real person?
It depends on whose face, whether you have their permission, and where you post it, but without consent it usually breaks platform rules and can break the law. TikTok bans AI content showing minors or private adults without their permission[1], the EU requires deepfakes to be disclosed[6], and Seedance's official API refuses real faces unless the person has verified and authorised their use[10].
This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws on likeness, privacy, defamation and deepfakes differ by country and, in the US, by state. We did not review national or state statutes for this page; ask a lawyer about a specific case.
What the law says (EU)
The EU AI Act is the clearest cross-border rule. It defines a deep fake as AI-generated or manipulated image, audio or video that resembles existing persons, objects, places or events and would falsely appear authentic[5]. Under Article 50(4), anyone deploying an AI system to make one must disclose that it was artificially generated or manipulated[6]. For evidently artistic, satirical or fictional work, the duty shrinks to disclosing it in a way that does not spoil the work[7], which is the closest the Act comes to a parody rule.
Two limits matter. Purely personal, non-professional use falls outside the AI Act, but regular economic activity makes you a deployer[8]. And the AI Act only covers disclosure: it does not make a video of someone legal. Defamation, privacy and personality-rights laws still apply. Our page on EU AI Act labels covers the dates.
What the platforms allow
- TikTok does not allow AI content showing anyone under 18, or adult private figures without their permission[1]. Even with a label, it bans AI content falsely showing public figures being bullied, endorsing something, or being endorsed[2].
- YouTube requires you to disclose realistic AI content, such as making a real person appear to do or say something they did not[3].
- Meta (Instagram, Facebook, Threads) requires its disclosure tool for photorealistic video that was digitally created or altered, and may apply penalties if you skip it[4].
Why video models block real and famous faces
Video model providers restrict real faces. Their own rules:
| Provider | Rule |
|---|---|
| BytePlus ModelArk (Seedance) | Does not accept uploaded reference images or videos containing real human faces[9]. Real-person assets only after verification and authorisation by that person[10]. |
| ByteDance Seed (Seedance) | For Seedance 2.0, real human portraits as subject references require identity verification or prior legal authorisation[11]. |
| CapCut (Seedance) | Restricted making videos from images or videos containing real faces during its rollout[12]. |
| Character.AI AvatarFX | Blocks videos generated from photos of minors, high-profile politicians and other notable figures[13]. |
| OpenAI Sora API (shut down) | Rejected real people, including public figures, and input images with human faces[14]; the API itself was shut down on 2026-09-24[15]. |
Filters also catch faces that only look like someone famous. In our own Seedance renders, one original character whose face read as a well-known film star had his shots blocked 4 times out of 4, and only a redesigned face fixed it. The full story is in our Seedance guide and why Seedance blocks videos.
What is generally safe
- Original characters that do not resemble a real person.
- Yourself, through a tool built for self-avatars that verifies it is you. See can I make an AI avatar of myself.
- A real person who has given you written permission, on a provider that supports verified consent, with the AI label the platform requires.
Where Cast fits
- Original characters: Cast draws every character from a text description, so no real person's photo is involved.
- Fictional livestream-style clips with an invented host, like the free Malfoid & Friends pack.
Where it does not:
- Videos of a real person, a celebrity or yourself: Cast has no photo upload and does not support real likenesses.
- Lip-syncing a real person's recorded voice: Cast does not take uploaded audio.
People also ask
- Is a parody deepfake of a politician legal?
- It depends on the country. In the EU, satirical work still needs a disclosure, though a lighter one[7]. TikTok bans AI content falsely showing public figures endorsing or being bullied, labelled or not[2].
- Can I make an AI video of a friend if they say yes?
- Their permission is what platforms ask for: TikTok bans private adults only without permission[1]. Get it in writing, label the video, and use a provider that accepts verified consent[10].
- Can I make AI videos of children?
- Not for posting on TikTok, which bans AI content showing the likeness of anyone under 18[1]. Character.AI also blocks AvatarFX videos made from photos of minors[13].
- Why was my original character blocked as a celebrity?
- Copyright and likeness filters check the output, not your intent. In our renders a face that resembled a famous actor was blocked every time until we redesigned it.
Sources
Claims about other companies come from their own pages, read on the date shown. Products and prices change; check the link for the current version.
- TikTok: AI-generated content FAQ (read )
- TikTok: AI-generated content FAQ, public figures (read )
- YouTube Help: disclosing altered or synthetic content (read )
- Meta: labeling AI-generated images on Facebook, Instagram and Threads (read )
- EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689), definitions (read )
- EU AI Act, Article 50(4) (read )
- EU AI Act, Article 50(4), artistic and satirical works (read )
- European Commission: FAQ on Article 50 transparency obligations (read )
- BytePlus ModelArk: Seedance portrait asset guide (read )
- BytePlus ModelArk: Seedance portrait asset guide, permitted routes (read )
- ByteDance Seed: Seedance 2.0 official launch (read )
- CapCut newsroom: Dreamina Seedance 2.0 (read )
- Character.AI blog: AvatarFX (read )
- OpenAI: video generation guide (Sora API) (read )
- OpenAI: Sora 2 model page (read )
Related answers
- Why did Seedance block my video?
- Do AI-generated videos need a label under the EU AI Act?
- Is there an AI video generator with no restrictions?
- Can I make an AI avatar of myself?
- Does TikTok allow AI-generated videos?
Part of the Cast answers library (Copyright, rules and safety).
Updated