With the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in everyday life, there are growing concerns that AI also poses risks to children’s online privacy and safety. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology that is being increasingly adopted into everyday life and is also seeing an increasing threat to children’s online privacy and safety. The National Crime Agency (NCA) in the UK has issued a warning for parents to not post photos of their children on social media as criminals could use them to exploit children with AI.
As reported in the media, cybercriminals are exploiting AI tools to alter ordinary images that are posted online, generating fake pictures and videos of child sexual abuse. The experts caution that even harmless family photos could be used in a criminal way.
Parents have been posting photos and videos of their kids online at an increasing rate, which has been dubbed “sharenting” or the merging of the words “sharing” and “parenting,” and child safety experts are concerned. It is designed to be a way for families to catch up on moments together, but can actually be an avenue for children to encounter some potentially serious online dangers.
The NCA has raised concerns about how AI might use common images to create explicit or harmful material, which could have serious impacts on children’s privacy and health.
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) reports on the extent of the problem. In 2025, the organisation identified around 3,500 AI-generated child sexual abuse images and videos, up from 13 cases in 2024, highlighting the growth of child abuse images and videos created with AI.
Criminals are typically able to access a child’s photos from social media platforms that are publicly available and then apply artificial intelligence (AI) to create very realistic fake images, experts say. With the ongoing growth and development of artificial intelligence, they are asking parents to be mindful of what they post online.
The IWF advises having social media accounts set to “private,” only post photos and videos to trusted friends and family, and use the privacy settings like “Close Friends” lists and audience restrictions.
Experts also advise parents to engage with children in decisions regarding their online presence when relevant and ask for their consent before posting photos and videos on social media.
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