Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are artificially-made compounds with strong carbon-fluorine (C-F) bonds that endow them with exceptional chemical stability. Because of their intrinsic longevity, these compounds have been used in a multitude of technologies, including nonstick coatings, water-resistant membranes, and fire-resistant foams. However, the very same characteristics that enable this stability also poses severe health hazards since their presence in drinking-water sources is toxic and carcinogenic to humans. In particular, the intrinsic strength of the C-F bond in PFASs prevents most organisms from decomposing these persistent contaminants, which further exacerbates their bio-accumulation and toxicity. Moreover, due to their strong chemical stability, conventional treatments (such as chemical oxidation methods) are less effective in the degradation of PFASs, making them extremely difficult to remove. Because of their resistance to conventional chemical treatments, immense interest has recently focused on photo-induced processes for directly decomposing PFAS contaminants. In contrast to conventional filtration techniques that merely remove PFAS (which still require subsequent treatment after filtration), very recent studies have suggested that PFAS degradation can be accelerated with electromagnetic/optical fields, such as those used in photocatalysis or commercially available laser sources. While these recent findings hold immense promise for directly treating PFAS, the exact mechanisms in these degradation processes remain unknown, and a guided path for rationally identifying photoactive materials and experimental conditions remains elusive.