In the age of social media and constant connectivity, the line between reality and deception is blurring. It’s a critical time for parents to understand what this technology is, how it’s being used for harm, and what proactive steps they can take to protect their children.

How does deepfake abuse happen?

Deepfakes are AI-generated or manipulated media that create highly realistic but entirely fabricated videos, images, or audio that purport to be of a real, living person. While deepfakes can be harmless, a malicious and growing trend involves the use of accessible AI tools—often free “nudify” apps—to manipulate everyday images of young people. These apps do not require technical skill. An abuser can take a photo of a student from social media or a school context and, within moments, create a convincing explicit image or video of that person.

Because deepfakes are by nature realistic, the damage from them is deeply personal and profound.

Even when the content emerges as fake, the victims—often young people—experience significant emotional distress, anxiety, a sense of violation and powerlessness.

This abuse can spread rapidly through social networks, turning a single act of manipulation into a school-wide crisis that can cause lasting psychological harm to the victim and create a climate of fear and mistrust for everyone.

What do parents need to know?

The best defence against deepfake abuse is a combination of open communication and proactive digital hygiene. Here is what every parent needs to know:

• Communicate openly: start a conversation with your child about deepfakes and the risks of sharing photos and personal information online. Emphasise that not everything they see or hear online is real and that it is okay to come to you if they encounter anything that makes them feel uncomfortable. Reassure them that if they are ever a victim of deepfake abuse, it is not their fault.
• Practice proactive digital hygiene: encourage your children to think critically before posting any personal information online. Educate them about privacy settings on their social media and gaming platforms. Remind them that once an image is shared it can be a source for deepfake creation.
• Teach critical thinking: teach your children to question the source of a video or image. Are there glitches or unnatural movements? Does the audio match the person’s mouth? The “nudify” apps and other tools often leave subtle but detectable errors.
• Partner with your school community: encourage your school to have a plan in place for deepfake incidents. Resources such as the eSafety Toolkit for Schools is an excellent resource for developing a response plan and providing staff training. By working together, parents, teachers, and administrators can ensure there is a clear process for reporting abuse, supporting victims, and educating the wider community.

How can VerifyLabs.AI help?

At VerifyLabs.AI, we are committed to providing the tools necessary to combat this new wave of AI-driven deception. Our technology is designed to detect and verify manipulated media, giving individuals the power to identify and label deepfakes as false before they can cause harm.