Parents are being urged to think carefully before posting photos of their children on social media after law enforcement warned that publicly shared images can be misused to create AI-generated child sexual abuse material.
The warning comes from the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which say advances in artificial intelligence are making it easier for criminals to manipulate ordinary family photographs into illegal and abusive content.
While many parents enjoy sharing milestones, birthdays and holidays online, the agencies say it’s worth reviewing who can see those images and considering whether they need to be publicly available at all.
AI is creating new online risks
According to the Internet Watch Foundation, analysts identified more than 8,000 AI-generated images and videos depicting realistic child sexual abuse during 2025, a 14% increase on the previous year.
The rise in AI-generated videos has been particularly stark. The organisation found just 13 examples in 2024, compared with more than 3,400 in 2025. In the UK, this type of material is treated as child sexual abuse material, even when it has been created using artificial intelligence rather than involving real abuse.
The NCA says prevention is vital as AI tools become more widely available.
Why parents are being advised to review what they share
The advice does not tell parents to stop taking or sharing family photographs altogether. Instead, it encourages families to make informed decisions about who can access those images.
Recommended steps include:
- Reviewing social media privacy settings
- Sharing photos only with trusted friends and family
- Removing older public posts that reveal identifying information
- Being cautious about images showing school uniforms or regular locations
- Including children in conversations about how and where their images are shared, helping them feel comfortable saying no if they do not want a photo taken or posted.
The guidance also encourages parents to check whether schools, clubs or other organisations have permission to publish photographs of their children and to review any consent forms they have previously signed.
The risks go beyond traditional "sharenting"
For years, experts have warned about the potential downsides of “sharenting”, the practice of parents regularly posting photos and videos of their children online. Historically, concerns focused on privacy, identity theft and the long-term digital footprint children inherit before they’re old enough to make their own decisions.
Artificial intelligence has introduced a new dimension.
Images no longer need to be obtained through hacking or private leaks. Publicly available photographs can simply be copied and manipulated using increasingly sophisticated AI tools. That means even innocent family photographs may be vulnerable if they are widely accessible online.
Part of a much bigger conversation about online harms
The latest warning reflects a broader shift in how governments, regulators and campaigners are approaching online safety. Concerns about children’s digital wellbeing have extended well beyond screen time and cyberbullying to include AI-generated content, image manipulation, online exploitation and platform accountability.
The UK government has already announced plans for a ban on social media access for under-16s, arguing that stronger action is needed to protect children from harmful online experiences.
At the same time, the government has announced new measures aimed at preventing AI tools from being used to create child sexual abuse material.
While these initiatives focus on different aspects of online safety, they all point towards the same challenge: ensuring technology develops in ways that protect users rather than exposing them to new forms of harm.
What this means for families
Artificial intelligence is opening up exciting new possibilities, but it is also creating risks that many families have never had to think about before.
For parents, reviewing privacy settings and thinking carefully about what is shared publicly may now be just as important as teaching children about online strangers or strong passwords.
There is no need to stop sharing family moments altogether. Instead, the latest guidance encourages parents to be more deliberate about who can see those images, how long they remain online and whether they reveal information that could identify a child.
As AI technology continues to evolve, taking a few simple precautions today could help reduce risks in the future.
