UK Agencies Advise Parents to Restrict Public Sharing of Children's Photos Over AI CSAM Risks

The National Crime Agency and the Internet Watch Foundation issued guidance on 3 July 2026 advising parents not to publicly post images of their children online because of risks from AI-generated child sexual abuse material. The agencies said parents should review privacy settings on social media accounts or create a close friends group for sharing such images.

They also urged parents to audit existing posts for identifying details and to revisit consent forms signed with schools, nurseries or clubs.

The Internet Watch Foundation identified more than 8,000 AI-generated images and videos of realistic child sexual abuse in 2025, a 14 percent increase from the previous year. It recorded 3,440 such videos in 2025 compared with 13 in 2024. "While we and policing colleagues tackle offenders, prevention remains vital," said Tim Wright, a senior manager at the NCA.

Lorna Sinclair, a child sexual abuse education manager at the NCA, said the average parent does not post a picture of a child online thinking that it might be scraped to be turned into CSAM. Kerry Smith, IWF boss, stated that the threats are real and that parents should make informed decisions with the full facts.

Dan Sexton, the IWF's chief technology officer, said he was very uncomfortable about telling parents not to put pictures of children on public display but felt there was no other option.

Tom Dyson, the IWF's head of marketing, noted that parents can request removal of photographs from websites or social media. The UK government has banned so-called nudification apps and adjusted laws to prevent AI systems from being used to produce CSAM.