Parents should stop publicly posting images of their children online because of the growing threat of AI-generated child abuse imagery, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has warned.
In a joint warning with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), the NCA said there is a rising danger of children’s photos being harvested from social media to create child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The IWF identified more than 8,000 AI-generated images and videos of realistic child sexual abuse in 2025 – a 14% increase on the previous year.
“NCA warns parents not to share children's images online as AI-generated child abuse imagery surges 14% in a year.”
The scale of the problem is escalating rapidly: IWF analysts spotted just 13 AI-generated videos of child sexual abuse in 2024, but by 2025 that number had surged to 3,440. These images are classified as CSAM under UK law.
“While we and policing colleagues tackle offenders, prevention remains vital,” said Tim Wright, a senior manager at the NCA. The agency has released fresh guidance for parents, produced alongside the IWF, outlining steps they can take to protect their children.
The guidance advises parents to review privacy settings, such as making accounts private or creating “close friends” groups for sharing images. It also urges them to check existing social media posts for identifying details like a child’s face or school uniform, and to consider deleting images that pose a risk. Parents should revisit consent around images taken by friends, family, schools or clubs.
The government has responded by banning so-called “nudification” apps and tweaking laws to ensure AI systems cannot be used to produce CSAM. The NCA and IWF hope the new guidance will help parents understand the particular threats posed by AI.
“Hearing about this as a parent or carer can feel alarming, but you are not alone,” the guidance states. “It’s important to know there are steps you can take, many of which you may already be doing, to help better protect your child.”
The advice also suggests involving children in conversations about how and where their image is taken or shared, so they feel empowered to say no.
With AI now “becoming a part of everyday life,” the guidance warns it can be misused – including by those who use it to make, manipulate and share nude or sexual images of children. For parents, the message is clear: think before you post.