Playbook
AI-generated fake images (“nudify” and deepfakes): the response playbook
What to do when a fake sexual image of a child is made or shared using AI, even though the child never took a photo.
1 Phase 1 of 6 · Prepare
Prepare
Fake images need no real photo. Planning is about reducing exposure and removing shame.
- Tell your child now: a fake image is a crime against them, not something they did.
- Review which public photos of your child exist (school sites, team pages, social accounts). Fewer clear face photos means less raw material.
- Set accounts to private and limit who can download or reuse photos.
- Bookmark takeitdown.ncmec.org and report.cybertip.org.
2 Phase 2 of 6 · Spot it
Spot it
Work out what you are facing before you react.
| Situation | What it usually is |
|---|---|
| A fake image of your child is circulating | Image-based abuse. Treat as a serious crime |
| Someone demands money or more images, threatening to ‘release’ a fake | Sextortion. Use the sextortion playbook too |
| A classmate made it ‘as a joke’ | Still a crime against a minor. Do not treat as a prank |
| A deleted or blurred ‘original’ cannot be found | Normal. Fakes do not need an original |
Don’t argue about whether it is ‘real’
Whether a picture is a photo or a fake does not change how harmful it is, and it does not change what you should do. Treat it as an exploitation image of a child.
3 Phase 3 of 6 · Contain
Contain
Protect your child and stop the spread.
- Reassure your child first: “I believe you. You did nothing wrong.”
- Do not open, copy, forward or screenshot the image. Capture only where it is: usernames, links, group names, dates.
- Tell your child to stop engaging with the person. Do not negotiate or pay.
- Ask the school to preserve what they know, but not to circulate the image to investigate.
- Don’t share the image ‘to warn others’.
- Don’t demand your child prove it is fake.
- Don’t punish your child for being a target.
4 Phase 4 of 6 · Clean up
Clean up
Report, remove, and bring in the people who can act.
- Report to the NCMEC CyberTipline: report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678.
- Use Take It Down for under-18 images (takeitdown.ncmec.org). Adults can use StopNCII.org.
- Report each post and account to the platform as non-consensual sexual imagery involving a minor.
- Contact local police and give them your log of links and usernames.
- Tell the school in writing. Schools have duties to respond to harassment and exploitation.
5 Phase 5 of 6 · Recover
Recover
Being the target of a fake is still a violation. Expect real distress.
- Offer counseling. Many children feel exposed even though the image is false.
- Watch for withdrawal, school refusal, or hopeless statements. Use 988 if needed.
- Let your child decide how much to talk about it, and with whom.
6 Phase 6 of 6 · Learn
Learn
Close gaps without blaming the child.
- Tighten photo privacy settings and review who can see your child’s images.
- Talk about consent and what to do if a friend sends or makes a fake.
- Write down what you would do faster next time (after-action review).
Related
Awareness Is Prevention is a prevention and education nonprofit, not a crisis line, law firm or law enforcement agency. This is general guidance, not legal or medical advice. In an emergency call 911.
Related
Safety is built before the crisis
Pick your part and see it through. Prevention works when people follow through.