Experts have cautioned that blackmailers are taking photos of students’ faces from school websites to create images of sexual assault.
Child safety specialists and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) have issued a warning that criminals are using AI to alter child images before requesting large sums of money to prevent them from being published.
They are pleading with educational establishments to take down any identifiable photos of kids from their websites and social media pages.
A UK secondary school was the target of a blackmail attempt, according to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), after thieves altered student photos to depict child sexual abuse.
The school received the altered photos from the blackmailers, who threatened to publish them if they didn’t receive payment.
According to the IWF, 150 of the photos used in the attempt at extortion would be considered Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) under UK legislation.
According to the watchdog, the incident from last year is not the only effort at blackmail in the UK that involves altering images from social media accounts or school websites.
The school in question and the police department that was approached to assist in preventing the photographs from being distributed are not named.
File image: Child safety experts and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) have cautioned that criminals are using artificial intelligence (AI) to alter child images and then demand large sums of money to keep them from being published.
The situation is a “deeply worrying emerging threat,” according to Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding and abuse against women and girls.
“She told The Guardian, “We will not hesitate to go further if necessary and make sure our laws stay up to date with the latest threats.”
The Early Warning Working Group (EWWG), a UK advisory group on combating internet hazards, has given schools advice on how to shield students from blackmailers.
It has cautioned against posting student names or faces and advised schools to delete photos that feature kids face-to-face.
The EWWG produced a set of recommendations for schools.
This involved routinely requesting that image consent agreements be resigned and conducting routine examinations of children’s photos on websites, social media profiles, and advertising materials.
The group, which consists of the NSPCC charity, the IWF, the Welsh government, Education Scotland, the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland, and the NCA, advised schools to call the police right away, take down the original photos, and keep any illegal photos.
“As educators, we instinctively want to celebrate children’s achievements and that includes sharing photos and videos of all the good things that go on in our schools. It is deeply depressing that in doing so we potentially have to contend with threats from abusers and scammers,” stated Leora Cruddas, chief executive of the Confederation of School Trusts.
Sextortion is a type of blackmail that has become increasingly prevalent due to the growing use of AI tools.
In sextortion, a child or adult is tricked into giving private photos of themselves, and if the victim doesn’t provide money, they are threatened with revealing the photos to their loved ones or making them public.
In response to the growing threat posed by AI, several schools have already taken action.
Recognisable student photos were taken down from the websites of the three private schools that the Loughborough Schools Foundation represents last year.
