Parents warned not to publicly share children's images amid AI abuse risks
Image: BBC News
A stark warning for every parent who posts their child's photo online: that image could be feeding a fast-growing AI abuse crisis.
The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), alongside the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), has urged parents not to publicly share pictures of their children. The reason: a rising tide of AI-generated child sexual abuse material built from images scraped off the internet.
The numbers are grim. The IWF identified more than 8,000 AI-generated abusive images and videos in 2025 — a 14% jump in a year. AI-generated abusive videos alone surged from 13 in 2024 to 3,440 in 2025.
"AI is becoming a part of everyday life," the new guidance states, "but it can also be misused — including by those who use it to make, manipulate and share nude, semi-nude or sexual images and videos of children."
The NCA's Tim Wright said prevention is vital alongside policing: "While we and policing colleagues tackle offenders, prevention remains vital." New UK rules already ban so-called "nudification" apps and tighten laws on AI firms.
Parents are advised to tighten privacy settings or share only with a "close friends" group. In an age where any upload can be weaponised, the safest post may be the one you don't make.