Deepfake Safety for Children

What is a deepfake?

A deepfake is media generated or altered with artificial intelligence so that a person appears to say or do something they did not actually say or do, or so that a synthetic person or event appears real. Deepfakes can involve faces, voices, images or video. Some uses are creative or harmless, but the same technology can be used for impersonation, harassment, fraud and abuse.

Why deepfakes are especially important for young people

School communities and social networks can spread material very quickly. A manipulated image or voice clip can therefore cause reputational harm even before anyone verifies it. UNICEF has warned about the rise of abusive AI-generated and manipulated images involving children, making fast reporting, platform safeguards and strong child-protection responses increasingly important.

How to assess suspicious media

No single visual trick reliably detects every modern deepfake. Instead, use a verification process:

1. Check the original source. Is the account genuine? When was it created? Does it normally post trustworthy material?
2. Look for independent confirmation. Important events involving public figures or institutions usually have more than one credible source.
3. Check context. Old video, edited captions or unrelated audio can mislead even without sophisticated AI.
4. Listen and watch critically. Strange timing or inconsistencies may be clues, but their absence does not prove authenticity.
5. Do not act under pressure. Scams often use urgent voice or video impersonation. Verify through a known contact method.

If a deepfake targets a child

• Do not retaliate or negotiate with the person spreading it.
• Tell a trusted adult promptly.
• Record useful information such as the account name, URL, time and where the content appeared.
• Use the platform’s reporting process and request removal where appropriate.
• If there are threats, coercion, serious harassment or illegal content, use the relevant official reporting channels in your country.

In India, cybercrime reports can be made through the official National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Other countries have different systems.

Deepfakes are a rights issue, not just a technology issue

Manipulated media can affect privacy, dignity, identity, safety and participation. That is why deepfake policy for children needs more than detection tools. It also needs platform responsibility, clear reporting, rapid support, legal remedies where applicable and digital literacy.

Open the site’s deepfakes topic page