AI, child photos: UK warns parents on online risks

The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) has issued a clear warning to parents: be careful which photos of your children you share online. On July 3, 2026, the NCA released landmark guidance advising against posting images of minors on public platforms. The reason? A worrying rise in AI-generated explicit material.

This isn't just another generic privacy alert, but a concrete threat. UK authorities have noted an exponential growth in apps and tools using artificial intelligence. This software can "nudify" photos, turning innocent images into explicit content without anyone's consent.

Unfortunately, "magic" is far too kind a word. These malicious apps use artificial intelligence algorithms to analyze a normal photo and then modify it, adding or removing clothing. The result is a fake image, but one that looks extremely realistic, and that's the big problem.

Any photo will do, perhaps one taken at the beach or during play, and the AI handles the rest. These applications, often free and easy to find, are a nightmare for child safety. Artificial intelligence, in this instance, isn't solving problems, but creating new and much more serious ones.

The answer is almost too simple and perhaps obvious, but necessary: avoid posting photos of your children in public online spaces. The National Crime Agency's guidance recommends not sharing images of minors on open platforms, where anyone can see and download them. A private account, perhaps, is no longer enough.

Think twice before uploading that birthday or holiday photo. Social media are shop windows, and not all shop windows are safe. Perhaps it's time to go back to old family albums, the ones that stay at home and are flipped through with people you truly know.