Artificial intelligence technology is being used to create sexualized fake media of children to extort them for money, according to a national tipline.
Cybertip.ca, used to report the online sexual exploitation of children, noted a burgeoning trend in which offenders use AI-created sexualized deepfakes of victims, often using nothing more than a profile picture.
Sexualized deepfakes are media – photos, video and audio – that look or sound realistic but have actually been altered to present the victim in a sexualized or abusive manner, Cybertip.ca describes. Previously, offenders would try to coerce or trick youth into sharing explicit images.
“However, they’re increasingly bypassing this step in favour of creating fake content with AI tools in the likeness of their victim,” the tipline said Tuesday.
The Canadian Centre for Child Protection, which operates the tipline, conducted a survey last year which found that an estimated nine in 10 teen victims of sexual violence in Canada experience harm via private messaging environments.
Cybertip.ca says teens have reported that photos posted to popular social and messaging platforms, including Instagram, Telegram, X and Discord, are being used to create the deepfakes.
Offenders appear to target spaces where youth connect and communicate privately, “environments that can be difficult for safe adults to monitor,” the tipline stated.
Many reported succumbing to extortion and sending money to the blackmailer to avoid having the images spread online.
The tipline suggested that parents and caregivers talk to their children about deepfakes and encourage them to seek help if they are being extorted, rather than giving into demands.
It also suggested making social accounts private and considering what kind of photos to share of children on social platforms.
“Consider the audience who will be viewing these photos and the context in which these photos were taken,” it stated.
Youth seeking help can reach out to:
- Cybertip.ca
- NeedHelpNow.ca
- Law enforcement
