Source: The Guardian

Two teenage selfies that began as fully clothed mirror photos were transformed by online predators using AI imaging tools into material used as the basis for extreme pornography, illustrating a new route to child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Report Remove is cited as the service that lets children flag images distributed without consent; the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) have issued guidance urging parents to limit visibility of family photos (for example, by making profiles private or sharing only with “close friends”) because some under-18s are becoming victims without direct contact with criminals. The IWF reported a 14% rise in AI-generated CSAM in the prior year, identifying 8,029 AI-made images and videos of realistic CSAM in 2025.

Dan Sexton, the IWF chief technology officer, says he is “very uncomfortable” advising parents to restrict photos but feels compelled because protection against the technology is insufficient; he calls for legislation requiring AI models to be “safe by design.” The UK government is cited as making it illegal to possess, create or distribute AI tools designed to generate CSAM and is empowering tech firms and child protection agencies to test whether AI tools can produce child abuse images. The IWF warns it can be impossible to distinguish AI-generated CSAM from real abuse, complicating assessments of who is in real-life danger, though analysts can sometimes differentiate AI videos; confirmation often depends on perpetrators claiming creations on the dark web. Lorna Sinclair of the NCA frames the guidance as alerting parents to a danger many do not know exists and notes offenders are early adopters of technological change.