AI Deepfakes: A Growing Digital Safety Risk for Young People

A photo from a school trip, a profile picture, or a clip shared with friends may seem harmless. But with AI tools, ordinary images and videos can be manipulated to make people appear to say or do things they never did. For young people, this creates a growing digital safety concern: content shared casually online can be turned into something misleading, harmful, or deeply personal without their consent.

What Are Deepfakes, and How Are They Used?

Deepfakes are AI-generated or manipulated images, videos, or audio that make something false appear real. One particularly harmful form is known as AI nudification, which uses AI tools to create fake nude or sexualized images from ordinary photographs. The original picture may be completely innocent, such as a school photo or a profile picture. The harm lies in how it is altered and shared without the person’s consent.

How Many Children Are Affected by AI Deepfake Abuse?

A UNICEF-led investigation across 11 countries found that at least 1.2 million children reported having their images manipulated into sexually explicit deepfakes. In some countries, the reported figures were equivalent to one child in a typical classroom of 25. The study surveyed children aged 12 to 17 and their parents or caregivers.

The findings also highlight how concerned young people are about this risk. In some countries included in the study, up to two-thirds of children said they worried that AI could be used to create fake sexual images or videos of them.

These figures are based on self-reported experiences and concerns in specific countries, not a worldwide count. However, they show that AI-generated sexual abuse is not merely a hypothetical threat. It is a real concern for children, including those whose original photographs were shared for entirely ordinary reasons.

How AI Deepfakes Harm Children Beyond the Screen?

AI-generated sexual images of children are not harmless. UNICEF considers them child sexual abuse material and warns that they can normalize sexual exploitation and complicate efforts to identify and protect victims. As the agency puts it, ‘Deepfake abuse is abuse’.

The emotional impact can also be serious. UNICEF has highlighted feelings of shame, anxiety, depression, and fear associated with deepfake abuse. A young person may feel humiliated or worry about how others will react to an image they never agreed to create. Fear of judgement can make it difficult to tell a trusted adult or ask for help, leaving them to deal with the situation alone.

Why Traditional Online Safety Advice Is No Longer Enough?

Telling children not to share personal photos cannot fully protect them from AI deepfake abuse. Traditional online safety advice still matters, but UNICEF warns that it is no longer enough when AI tools can turn an ordinary photograph into fabricated sexual content. A child can follow online safety rules and still be targeted because even an innocent image may be misused.

This means responsibility cannot rest on children alone. UNICEF has called on governments to ensure that laws covering child sexual abuse material also address AI-generated content. It has also urged technology companies to prevent abusive deepfakes from being created and circulated, rather than relying only on removing them after they spread. Since laws vary by country, the legal protections available depend on where the child lives.

What to Do if Someone Is Targeted by AI Deepfake Abuse?

Young people affected by AI deepfake abuse should not have to deal with it alone. Child-safety organizations recommend several steps to help them seek support, report the content, and limit its spread.

• Tell a trusted adult: Speak to a parent, teacher, counsellor, or another trusted person who can help. The abuse is not the victim’s fault.

• Keep evidence safely: Save relevant links, usernames, messages, and other details that may help with reporting. Avoid downloading or forwarding sexual images of anyone under 18.

• Report the content: Use the platform’s reporting tools to flag sexual or non-consensual content and request its removal.

• Use a removal service: NCMEC’s is a free service designed to help prevent the online sharing of explicit images or videos taken when someone was under 18. It creates a digital fingerprint on the user’s device without uploading the image itself. The service may also support certain AI-generated images, but its effectiveness depends on participating platforms and the content they can identify.

• Contact local authorities or a child-protection helpline: Where available, these services can explain reporting options and help protect the young person.

Emotional support matters, too. Speaking with a counsellor or healthcare professional can help a young person manage distress, anxiety, or fear while the situation is being addressed.

How Families and Schools Can Help Protect Young People?

Young people are more likely to seek help when they feel supported rather than blamed. Families and schools can create an environment where children feel safe discussing AI deepfakes and reporting abuse. Schools can explain why creating or sharing sexualized deepfakes is harmful and may have serious legal consequences. Families can help children review privacy settings, limit who can view their profiles, and think carefully about what they share online. Most importantly, young people must understand that being targeted is never their fault. The responsibility lies with those who create, share, or misuse the content.

To sum up, AI deepfakes have made it possible to turn ordinary photographs into harmful fabricated content without a person’s consent. Evidence from UNICEF’s investigation shows that children are already concerned about this risk, and some report having experienced it. Protecting them requires more than advice about what not to share. Families, schools, technology companies, and governments all have a role in preventing abuse, responding quickly, and ensuring that young people can seek help without fear or shame.

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