AI Turns Children’s Photos Into Abuse Material: Parents Urged to Stop Public Sharing
Parents are being urged to take steps to protect their children’s privacy online amid growing concerns about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from images posted online.
The warning is from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which state that the abuse of AI is introducing new dangers for children in digital environments.
In 2025, the IWF found over 8,000 AI-generated images and videos of realistic child sexual abuse, a 14 per cent rise from the previous year. The organisation also noted that the number of child sexual abuse videos created using artificial intelligence has increased significantly, from 13 in 2024 to 3,440 in 2025.
The NCA and IWF have responded by providing guidance for parents to check privacy settings on social media accounts, restrict who can view children’s photos, and think twice about posting photos that contain identifying information like a child’s face or school uniform or location.
The agencies also suggest talking to children about image sharing, where appropriate, and asking friends, family, schools and clubs to honour family wishes before posting children’s images online.
Prevention is key, said Tim Wright, senior manager at the NCA, while law enforcement is still working to catch offenders. IWF Chief Executive Kerry Smith went on to say that the risks are no longer theoretical and families should make informed choices before uploading images of their children online.
The guidance reflects the increasing need for digital safety awareness in the context of evolving AI technologies, according to child protection advocates. They emphasise that the online protection of children’s privacy is now an integral component of child protection from exploitation and abuse.
