Schools urged to review pupil photos amid AI blackmail threat
Schools are being advised to review the use of pupil photographs on websites and social media after child protection experts warned criminals are using AI-generated abuse imagery in blackmail attempts.
The warning follows reporting by The Guardian that at least one UK secondary school was targeted after publicly available images of pupils were manipulated using artificial intelligence tools to create sexually explicit content.
According to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), offenders harvested images from a school’s online presence before using AI software to generate child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The perpetrators then allegedly threatened to publish the material unless money was paid.
The IWF said approximately 150 manipulated images connected to the incident could potentially be classified as CSAM under UK law. The organisation created digital “hashes” of the material and shared them with major technology platforms in an effort to prevent further circulation online.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) and members of the Early Warning Working Group (EWWG) are now advising schools to reconsider how identifiable images of children are published online.
Guidance issued to schools recommends avoiding the use of clear, front-facing photographs of pupils where possible and limiting the publication of identifying information such as names. Suggested alternatives include images taken from a distance, photographs from behind, or blurred imagery.
Schools are also being encouraged to conduct regular audits of online content, review consent arrangements for photographs and tighten privacy settings on websites and social media platforms.
The EWWG warned that while cases remain relatively uncommon, advances in generative AI mean the threat is likely to increase.
In guidance circulated to education providers, the group said schools should consider “whether using imagery without children and young people’s faces can still achieve your objectives” while reducing safeguarding risks.
The case has also raised wider concerns around the use of openly accessible images in sextortion and online exploitation investigations.
Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, described the emergence of AI-generated abuse imagery targeting schools as a “deeply worrying emerging threat”, adding that the government would continue reviewing legislation relating to AI-generated explicit content.
The government has already announced plans to ban possession of AI models specifically designed to generate child sexual abuse material.
The EWWG advises schools targeted by blackmail attempts to contact police immediately, preserve evidence and remove original images that may have been manipulated.
The working group includes representatives from the NSPCC, IWF, Education Scotland, the Welsh Government, the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland and the NCA.
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