Australia Launches Action Against AI ‘Nudify’ Sites as Child Sexual Exploitation Reports Jump 41 Percent

Australia’s eSafety commissioner has launched enforcement action against a UK-based technology company responsible for enabling AI-generated “nudify” images of Australian school children.

It comes as the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Commissioner both report a rise in complaints about online child sexual exploitation (OCSE).

The company, which eSafety has not named to avoid promoting its services, operates two of the world’s most-visited online AI-generated nude image websites, which allow users to upload photos of real people, including children. eSafety claims the sites attract around 100,000 visitors a month from Australia.

“Shockingly, we found these services did little to deter the generation of synthetic child sexual abuse material by marketing alarming features such as undressing ‘any girl,’ with options for ‘schoolgirl’ and ‘sex mode’ to name a few,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said.

“And while these platforms can be accessed for free, the cost to the children targeted is incredibly high, if not incalculable.”

Often, such sites are used by other children to create images that are then used to humiliate their peers. Inman-Grant says deepfake image-based abuse is now “erupting across Australian schools almost weekly.”

Reports from children more than doubled in the past 18 months, compared to the total number of reports received in the seven years prior. Four out of five of these reports involved the targeting of females.

“We know that digitally-enabled harms are under-reported, so we are certain this is just the tip of the iceberg,” she said.

“We have seen these apps used to humiliate and bully children in the schoolyard and beyond. These depict children doing and saying things they did not say and do, but the fidelity of this deepfake imagery is so high that it is near-impossible to tell that the image isn’t real.”

eSafety’s formal warning is the first step in its enforcement process. Further action will be considered should the company continue to fail to comply with Australian online safety standards.

“We will not hesitate to use the full extent of our powers—including seeking civil penalties of up to $49.5 million—if non-compliance continues,” Inman Grant said.

‘Confronting’ Rise in Complaints: Police

The action comes as the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) reports a 41 percent jump in reports of OCSE in the 2024/2025 financial year.

New figures released to mark Child Protection Week (Sept. 7–13) reveal the ACCCE received 82,764 OCSE reports across the 12 months, mainly through the U.S. National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, but also from members of the public and government agencies.

This compares to 58,503 reports in 2023/24, 40,232 in 2022/23, and 36,600 in 2021/22.

“The [rise] is hugely confronting, as it represents acts of unspeakable horror and trauma that involve Australians as both victims and offenders,” AFP Commander Human Exploitation Helen Schneider said.

“These acts range from the creation, distribution, and consumption of child abuse material through to the livestreaming of child sexual abuse overseas.

“But it’s simply not something police can tackle alone, making it essential for parents, carers and the wider community to take an active role in protecting our vulnerable young people.”

Schneider said police have worked relentlessly to increase awareness and vigilance around the issue, as well as how to report it.

“This means Australians have never been more aware of online child sexual exploitation and more willing to report it,” she said. “But we can’t take our foot off the accelerator in amplifying the importance of the community’s role.”

This included being mindful of all material posted online.

“It’s a natural impulse for parents and carers to want to celebrate and share their children’s lives, but it’s important to think about where this material could end up and what could be done with it,” Schneider said.

With online child sexual exploitation serving as the umbrella term for behaviours ranging from sextortion to online grooming, the ACCCE takes a multi-faceted approach to tackling the issue, which draws on technology to access victims globally.

This includes partnering with the finance sector to disrupt activities and accounts that funnel money back to the criminal networks involved in OCSE, and working with social media platforms to access and deliver education to at-risk young people.