Deepfakes and "nudify" apps: protecting your child's photos

Deepfakes are fake images, videos or audio made with AI that look real. One of the most harmful uses is "nudify" or "undress" apps, which take an ordinary photo of a clothed person and generate a fake nude image. Face-swap tools can also put a real person's face on sexual content.

These tools have been used in schools around the world to target classmates, especially girls, and by criminals for sextortion.

Why this matters for parents

• Any photo can be misused: a profile picture, a school event photo, a TikTok.
• The images can look realistic, even though they're fake.
• The harm is real: humiliation, bullying, fear, and lasting distress.
• Children may create them as a "joke" without understanding the harm or the law.

The law

In the Philippines, creating, possessing or sharing sexual images of anyone under 18 is a serious crime under RA 11930 and related laws, and this includes images that are digitally created or altered. Sharing fake intimate images of anyone can also violate other laws, including the Safe Spaces Act and the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act. See Philippine laws that protect children online.

Prevention

• Keep accounts private and limit who can see photos.
• Think about public photos, including school and team photos posted by others. See sharenting.
• Block nudify and face-swap apps using app approvals.
• Talk about it with teens: what these apps are, why using them on others is abuse and a crime, and that a fake image is never the victim's fault.

If it happens to your child

1. Reassure them. "This is fake, this isn't your fault, and we'll deal with it."
2. Don't save, screenshot or share the image. Note where it is: the app, account, group and link.
3. Report to the platform as non-consensual intimate imagery or child sexual exploitation.
4. Use Take It Down (takeitdown.ncmec.org) for images of under-18s, which can help remove AI-generated images too. See getting an intimate image removed.
5. Report to the CICC (1326), the PNP or the NBI.
6. Involve the school if classmates made or shared it. It's covered by the school's anti-bullying and child protection policies.
7. Support your child's mental health. See cyberbullying and mental health.

If your child made or shared one

Take it seriously. Make sure it's deleted everywhere, cooperate with the school, and help your child understand the harm and the law. See when your child is the bully.