Explicit deepfakes of UK children surge as AI image tools become widely accessible

The Internet Watch Foundation reported a sharp increase in explicit deepfakes of British children, with 420 cases documented in the first six months of 2026 alone—already surpassing the entire 2025 total of 397 reports. The rise is driven by increasingly accessible AI image generation and nudification tools. Children face sextortion threats, with perpetrators leveraging deepfakes to extort ransom payments or demand additional explicit content. The IWF classified the majority of cases as meeting thresholds for child sexual abuse material, which is illegal to create or distribute in the UK. Tech companies face growing pressure to embed robust safeguards in AI products to prevent such abuse-material generation.