AI-CSAM: Protecting your child’s images from AI abuse

Protecting your child’s images from AI abuse

Parents text content

Artificial intelligence (AI) is now a part of everyday life. It can be helpful in many ways, but it can also be misused – including by those who use it to alter everyday family photos to make, manipulate and share nude, semi-nude or sexual images and videos of children. This is child sexual abuse material and, under UK law, is illegal.

Hearing about this can feel alarming but you are not alone. It’s important to know that there are steps you can take to help better protect your child, many of which you may already be doing.

Our practical guidance for parents and carers, developed in partnership with the Internet Watch Foundation can help you learn more. It explains how AI can be misused, why it matters and what steps you can take to feel confident and help keep your child safer online.

Parents text content

Essential guidance for parents & carers on child sexual abuse material generated by AI. Read now.

What can I do if this has happened to my child?

If your child has told you they have had sexual abuse imagery created or manipulated of them:

  1. Reassure them that they have done the right thing by telling you what has happened, you will help them and they are not to blame.
  2. Don’t ask them to show you the image.
  3. Avoid deleting anything that could be used as evidence, such as messages, images, videos or profile details.
  4. Report it to the police. Call 101 or 999 of there is an immediate risk of harm to your child. Under 18s can also report online sexual abuse or exploitation to the NCA’s CEOP Safety Centre.
  5. Report it to the platform, website or app that the incident has occurred on. For advice on how  to report to major social media platform, visit Internet Matters.  If a child or young  person is in immediate danger report to the  police by calling 999.
  6. Report the image to Report Remove, a service run by the NSPCC’s Childline and IWF. They can seek the removal of nude images and videos that may appear online and offer mental health support for young people.
  7. Access emotional and wellbeing support for you and your child. Experiences involving sexual images, including those generated using AI, can be stressful and cause worry, shame or even fear. You can find advice on looking after your child’s mental health from the NHS or contact Childline.