Parents Warned to Limit Visibility of Children's Images Amid AI Abuse Risks
The UK's National Crime Agency and Internet Watch Foundation have warned parents not to publicly post images of their children online due to the growth of AI-generated child abuse imagery. Over 8,000 AI-generated images and videos of realistic child sexual abuse were identified in 2025, a 14% increase from the previous year.
Key points
- The National Crime Agency and Internet Watch Foundation have released guidance for parents to help keep their children safe online, warning of the risks of AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery.
- More than 8,000 AI-generated images and videos of realistic child sexual abuse were identified in 2025, a 14% increase from the previous year.
- The guidance recommends parents review their privacy settings or create a 'close friends' group to limit visibility of family pictures.
- The UK government has banned 'nudification' apps and tweaked laws to help AI firms make safer products.
Parents Warned to Limit Visibility of Children's Images Amid AI Abuse Risks
The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) and Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) have issued guidance for parents to help keep their children safe online, warning of the risks of AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery.
The warning comes as the number of AI-generated images and videos of realistic child sexual abuse continues to rise. In 2025, the IWF identified over 8,000 such images and videos, a 14% increase from the previous year.
The guidance recommends that parents review their privacy settings or create a 'close friends' group to limit visibility of family pictures. This is in response to the growing threat of children's images being used to create child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
The UK government has already taken steps to tackle the issue, banning 'nudification' apps and tweaking laws to help AI firms make safer products.
The NCA and IWF are urging parents to be aware of the problem and take action to protect their children. By limiting visibility of family pictures and being cautious when sharing images online, parents can help keep their children safe from the risks of AI-generated child abuse imagery.
Sources
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