You cannot use Runway to make fake videos or images of real people that are designed to trick people into thinking they are real, or to impersonate someone without their permission.
This analysis describes what Runway's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This provision directly addresses one of the most significant societal risks associated with AI video and image generation tools: the creation of deceptive synthetic media depicting real individuals, including public figures and private persons.
Interpretive note: The provision's reliance on intent to deceive as the operative standard creates interpretive ambiguity, as intent may be difficult to establish at the point of content generation, and application varies across jurisdictions with different deepfake statute standards.
The terms prohibit creating deepfakes or synthetic media intended to deceive or to impersonate real individuals without consent, which establishes a clear boundary on AI-generated content that could be used for fraud, defamation, or manipulation.
How other platforms handle this
Users may not use ElevenLabs' platform to generate voice content for the purpose of committing fraud, including financial fraud, identity theft, or unauthorized impersonation for financial gain.
You may not use the Services to generate content that violates applicable laws or regulations, including content that is defamatory, obscene, fraudulent, or that infringes the intellectual property rights of any third party.
Content that's meant to praise, promote, or aid violent extremist or criminal organizations is not allowed on YouTube. We rely on many factors — like certain government and international organization designations — to determine what constitutes criminal or terrorist organizations.
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"You may not use Runway's tools to create synthetic media — including but not limited to deepfakes — that are intended to deceive viewers into thinking the content is real, or to impersonate real individuals without their consent in a misleading way.— Excerpt from Runway's Runway Usage Policy
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision engages state-level deepfake statutes in California (AB 602, AB 730 addressing non-consensual deepfake pornography and election-related deepfakes), Texas (HB 4337), and Virginia. At the federal level, the FTC Act's prohibition on deceptive practices is engaged. The EU AI Act prohibits certain AI systems used for manipulation, and synthetic media disclosure requirements under the EU AI Act may apply to Runway as a provider. The EU's proposed AI Liability Directive may also be relevant. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High, for platform-level compliance. The provision's reliance on intent ('intended to deceive') creates enforcement ambiguity: determining intent at the point of generation is operationally difficult, and Runway's ability to detect prohibited use post-generation is limited by the nature of AI output delivery. Regulatory enforcement risk is highest in the EU and in states with explicit deepfake statutes. JURISDICTION FLAGS: California, Texas, and Virginia have enacted or proposed deepfake-specific statutes. EU users are subject to EU AI Act requirements. Election-related deepfake prohibitions apply in multiple US states during election periods. The policy's prohibition applies globally under Runway's terms but regulatory enforcement depends on local law. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Enterprise customers using Runway in broadcast, media, or marketing contexts should assess whether their content workflows could produce synthetic media that triggers state deepfake statutes. Indemnification provisions in enterprise agreements should be reviewed to confirm allocation of liability for policy-violating outputs generated by enterprise users. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should establish content review protocols for synthetic media outputs in regulated contexts such as political advertising, financial services, and journalism. Runway's policy should be referenced in user-facing terms for any application built on the Runway platform. Organizations in the EU should assess EU AI Act disclosure requirements for AI-generated synthetic media.
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This provision directly addresses one of the most significant societal risks associated with AI video and image generation tools: the creation of deceptive synthetic media depicting real individuals, including public figures and private persons.
The terms prohibit creating deepfakes or synthetic media intended to deceive or to impersonate real individuals without consent, which establishes a clear boundary on AI-generated content that could be used for fraud, defamation, or manipulation.
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