The tragedy underscores how so-called sextortion scams targeting children are growing around the world, particularly with the rapid proliferation of “nudify” apps -- AI tools that digitally strip off clothing or generate sexualized imagery.
His parents told US media that the text messages ordered him to pay up or an apparently AI-generated nude photo would be sent to his family and friends.
“They are well financed, and they are relentless. They don’t need the photos to be real, they can generate whatever they want, and then they use it to blackmail the child.”
The FBI has reported a “horrific increase” in sextortion cases targeting US minors, with victims typically males between the ages of 14 and 17. The threat has led to an “alarming number of suicides,“ the agency warned.
In a recent survey, Thorn, a non-profit focused on preventing online child exploitation, found that six percent of American teens have been a direct victim of deepfake nudes.
“Perpetrators no longer need to source intimate images from children because images that are convincing enough to be harmful -- maybe even as harmful as real images in some cases -- can be produced using generative AI.”
The tools are a lucrative business.
The analysis from Indicator, a US publication investigating digital deception, estimates that 18 of the sites made between $2.6 million and $18.4 million over the six months to May.
'Whack-a-mole'
A recent Save the Children survey found that one in five young people in Spain have been victims of deepfake nudes, with those images shared online without their consent.
In the United Kingdom, the government this year made creating sexually explicit deepfakes a criminal offense, with perpetrators facing up to two years in jail.
Meta also recently announced it was filing a lawsuit against a Hong Kong company behind a nudify app called Crush AI, which it said repeatedly circumvented the tech giant's rules to post ads on its platforms.
“To date, the fight against AI nudifiers has been a game of whack-a-mole,“ Indicator said, calling the apps and sites “persistent and malicious adversaries.” - AFP
Hence then, the article about ai powered nudify apps fuel deadly wave of digital blackmail was published today ( ) and is available on Daily Sun ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( AI-powered 'nudify' apps fuel deadly wave of digital blackmail )
Also on site :