With technology constantly evolving, it can be hard to keep track of the latest trends and online safety guidance. Technology offers exciting possibilities for creativity and innovation, but it also introduces new challenges and risks, particularly for children and young people.
As a parent, understanding what synthetic media is and how it can impact your child’s online experience, as well as your own, can help you guide your children as they navigate their use of technology and artificial intelligence safely and responsibly.
This section provides practical advice and resources to help parents and carers support the young people in their care with information about synthetic media, from encouraging open discussions and critical thinking about online safety to accessing support services when needed.
Encourage discussions around sharing personal information and online safety
Being aware of what you and your child are sharing online is a crucial step to protecting them from forms of online harm and can reduce the impact of synthetic content. One of the first steps you can take is to discuss and adjust the privacy settings on your child's social media accounts to ensure privacy; this can help to ensure that only trusted people can see their posts, photos, and personal information. To keep up to date with new privacy-enhancing features and options that platforms provide, it’s important to regularly review these settings and make sure they’re appropriate for yourself and your child.
It’s a good idea to frequently review app permissions across your child’s devices and consider limiting how often apps can access camera, microphone, and location services; check to see if apps are requesting excessive permissions and consider if apps have a clear need for the requested data.
Alongside updating your privacy settings, educating your child about the importance of not clicking on suspicious links or sharing information with unknown sources can also help to protect their personal information from being shared online. Using child-friendly search browsers such as Swiggle can help support young children when searching for images or content online by ensuring they can’t stumble across inappropriate and harmful content.
What can I do if my child has viewed, or featured in, synthetic harmful content?
If you believe your child’s likeness has been used to create synthetic harmful content that has been shared online, there is help available. Examples of synthetic harmful content can include, but are not limited to:
- AI-generated content that replaces one person's likeness with another's, which can be used to spread false information or impersonate someone.
- AI-generated content that mimics someone’s likeness, which could be used for fraud, blackmail, or spreading false information.
- Content altered using AI to misrepresent facts or mislead individuals, in cases such as impersonation.
- Content developed by AI that is used to abuse, harass or incite hatred against a community or individual online.
Alongside this, if you or your child has viewed synthetic harmful content on social media platforms, our service Report Harmful Content may be able to help you report it online.
What can I do if my child has been involved in AI-generated or digitally manipulated nudes and semi-nudes
Report Harmful Content are unable to report Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) involving individuals under the age of 18, including AI- generated content, as it is illegal. The following services and resources can provide additional advice and support:
