Sony Music AI deepfake takedowns top 260,000, nearly doubling in six months

What happened

Sony Music says it has asked streaming and social platforms to remove more than 260,000 AI-generated tracks imitating its artists, nearly double the 135,000 it disclosed at the end of March 2026. The figure, given to the Financial Times and reported by Music Business Worldwide and Music Week, covers requests through the end of September — over 20,000 removal requests a month between April and September.

What Sony is asking for

Sony describes the targets as generative AI deepfake tracks that copy its artists' voices and likenesses without permission. It is asking platforms not only to remove flagged deepfakes quickly but to prevent the same content from reappearing, calling enforcement "an uphill struggle."

Context

The count continues a steep climb: over 75,000 requests by March 2025 (UK AI-and-copyright consultation submission), above 135,000 by March 2026. Imitated artists reportedly include Harry Styles, Adele, Britney Spears, Queen and Michael Jackson. Sony also continues to pursue AI music generators Suno and Udio in court over training data; those cases address training data rather than the voice-clone uploads behind these takedown requests.