Child Photo AI Risk
UK Authorities Urge Parents to Limit Children's Public Online Photos Amid Surging AI-Generated CSAM
Key Points
Dan Sexton, the IWF's chief technology officer, told The Guardian he was 'very uncomfortable' about telling parents not to put pictures of children on public display but felt there was no other option, saying 'I would be very cautious [about putting pictures of children online] because there is no protection.'
The IWF operates Report Remove, a service that allows people to report CSAM and helps remove explicit images from the internet as part of the broader child-safety response.
The IWF identified 3,440 AI-generated AI-generated images or videos of child sexual abuse in 2025, up from 13 in 2024, illustrating the rapid growth of deepfake CSAM.
In 2025, IWF data also indicated more than 8,000 AI-generated images and videos of realistic child sexual abuse were identified, marking a 14% year-on-year increase.
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission noted that the majority of parents there continue to sharent—posting about their children online—with many doing so daily or several times a week, highlighting broader regional concerns about online sharing.
The UK's National Crime Agency and the Internet Watch Foundation have issued a landmark warning: parents should stop posting photos of their children publicly online. The guidance comes as AI tools are being used to turn ordinary family snapshots into child sexual abuse material (CSAM), according to The Independent.
Officials stress this is about protection, not blame. But the numbers behind the warning are stark. The IWF identified 3,440 AI-generated images or videos of child sexual abuse in 2025 alone — up from just 13 in 2024, according to Head Topics.
AI Turns Innocent Photos Into Abuse Material
Predators are scraping publicly posted photos of children from social media. They then use AI tools to manipulate those images into explicit content. The process is faster and easier than ever before, making any publicly shared photo a potential risk, according to Head Topics.
Online safety expert Dr. Catherine Knibbs warned that publicly available photos are now easier to misuse than at any point in history, according to Early Game. IWF chief technology officer Dan Sexton told Yahoo News he was 'very uncomfortable' issuing the guidance but felt there was no alternative. 'I would be very cautious because there is no protection,' he said.
Scale of AI-Generated CSAM Surges in 2025
The scale of the problem is growing fast. In 2025, the IWF identified more than 8,000 AI-generated images and videos of realistic child sexual abuse — a 14% year-on-year increase, according to Head Topics. The leap from 13 cases in 2024 to 3,440 in 2025 shows how quickly this threat has escalated.
The IWF runs a service called Report Remove. It lets people report CSAM and helps get explicit images taken off the internet. But officials say removal alone cannot keep pace with AI-generated content, which is why prevention at the source — limiting public photo sharing — is now part of the official guidance.
What Parents Are Advised to Do Right Now
The NCA and IWF urge parents to set social media accounts to private. They recommend using close-friends circles rather than open posts. They also advise going back through old posts and removing photos that are publicly visible, according to The Independent.
The guidance goes further than personal accounts. Parents are told to check consent arrangements with schools, sports clubs, and other organizations. They should ask who is allowed to publish photos of their children and push to limit public access. The goal is to reduce the pool of images that predators can scrape and exploit.
Sharenting Remains Common Despite Growing Risks
Despite the warnings, many parents continue to post photos of their children regularly. Ireland's Data Protection Commission found that most parents there still share images of their children online, with many doing so daily or several times a week, according to Head Topics. The habit is so common it has its own name: sharenting.
UK officials say the guidance is not meant to make parents feel guilty. Technology has simply moved faster than existing protections. 'This is about prevention in the face of rapidly advancing technology,' the agencies said. The message is clear: what felt safe to post five years ago may not be safe today.
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