In a troubling trend, children across the United Kingdom are increasingly reporting explicit deepfake images featuring their likenesses. The Report Remove service, which aims to combat the distribution of intimate images online, has revealed a staggering increase in these reports, with 420 cases logged in just the first half of 2026. This figure surpasses the total for the entirety of 2025, signalling a disturbing escalation in the misuse of AI technology to create harmful content.
A Growing Concern
The rise in reported cases has prompted alarm among child safety advocates and technology experts alike. Dan Sexton, the Chief Technology Officer at the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which oversees the Report Remove initiative alongside the NSPCC, emphasised the challenges posed by the prevalence of AI tools. “The alarming reality is that if someone can manipulate an innocent photo of a child into child sexual abuse material, there are very few safeguards to stop it,” he stated.
The Report Remove service has adapted to this crisis by introducing a dedicated checkbox on its submission form, allowing minors to specifically flag images they suspect have been digitally altered. This adaptation underscores the severity of the situation, with Sexton noting that children are now at heightened risk of being targeted for sextortion, where abusers threaten to release such manipulated images unless demands are met.
The Role of Technology
The IWF’s findings indicate that a significant percentage of these manipulated images qualify as child sexual abuse material (CSAM), which is illegal under UK law. The government has enacted strict regulations against the creation and distribution of AI-generated CSAM, yet the ongoing advancements in AI technology present formidable challenges for enforcement.
Rani Govender, an online safety expert at the NSPCC, voiced her concerns regarding the tech industry’s responsibility in this crisis. “The rise in children reaching out because fake or AI-generated sexual images have been created of them is alarming but also sadly predictable,” she remarked. Govender urged technology companies to implement robust safety measures into their AI offerings to prevent the emergence of such harmful content.
Public Awareness and Precautions
The issue has gained significant attention from various safety organisations, including the National Crime Agency (NCA) and IWF, who have recently issued warnings to parents and guardians. These bodies recommend that families take proactive measures to safeguard identifiable images of children online. Strategies include setting social media profiles to private and sharing images exclusively within trusted circles.
This guidance follows alarming reports of cybercriminals employing AI to transform publicly available images of children into CSAM, subsequently threatening to disseminate this material unless schools or parents complied with their demands. In response to such threats, educational institutions have been encouraged to remove identifiable images of students from their websites and social media platforms.
Why it Matters
The escalating reports of deepfake abuse targeting children underline a critical intersection of technology and child safety that demands urgent attention. As AI capabilities continue to evolve, the risks associated with online exposure for minors are becoming increasingly pronounced. Without robust measures and accountability from tech companies, young individuals are left vulnerable to exploitation and harassment. The situation calls for a concerted effort from all stakeholders—tech companies, lawmakers, and parents—to create a safer online environment for the next generation.
