TL;DRThe UK’s National Crime Agency and Internet Watch Foundation have warned parents not to publicly post children’s images, citing AI-generated abuse imagery. The IWF found 8,029 AI-generated abuse images and videos in 2025, up 14%, with AI abuse videos rocketing from 13 to 3,440 in a year. New joint guidance tells parents to lock down privacy settings and audit old posts.
Parents should stop publicly posting images of their children online because of the growth of AI-generated abuse imagery, the UK’s National Crime Agency has warned. The agency issued the advice alongside the Internet Watch Foundation, the charity responsible for finding and removing child sexual abuse material online.
The IWF identified 8,029 AI-generated images and videos of realistic child sexual abuse in 2025, a 14% rise on the year before. Video is where the growth is starkest, up from just 13 confirmed AI-generated abuse videos in 2024 to 3,440 last year.
Such imagery is treated as child sexual abuse material under UK law, regardless of how it was made. “While we and policing colleagues tackle offenders, prevention remains vital,” said Tim Wright, a senior manager at the NCA.
The 💜 of EU techThe latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!The joint guidance asks parents to review privacy settings and restrict posts to trusted groups, such as a “close friends” list. It also suggests auditing older posts for identifying details, like a child’s face or school uniform, and revisiting consent given to schools and clubs that photograph children.
