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Many childminders have Social Media (SM) platforms specifically to advertise their childminding business, and photographs are an effective way of showing the joy that children gain from the activities and experiences provided, which can reassure parents and also attract new parents to the setting.

Our Consent forms enable parents to give specific permissions for where their children’s photographs can be used, and most childminders are extremely careful about protecting their minded children from being identified.

AI is now being used by pedophiles to create child abuse images of children using innocent photographs posted on SM platforms. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has released data showing that reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material had more than doubled in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 last year, with images of birth to two-year-olds surging from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025.

The Crime and Policing Bill 2026 includes updates on child abuse images created using AI and Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips says, ‘We will not hesitate to go further if necessary and make sure our laws stay up to date with the latest threats.’

The UK Safer Internet Centre has produced new guidance this month for early years settings to help Protect your setting's images from AI manipulation and abuse..

The Risks

• Misuse or abuse of images, including use of AI platforms to create child abuse images
• Vulnerability to blackmail: Some settings have been blackmailed to pay money in return for images not being shared
• Safeguarding concerns: This may include vulnerability to online blackmail or putting children and young people at risk of harm by exposing personal information or location data
• Privacy breaches: loss of control of metadata that exposes sensitive information can lead to data and privacy breaches

Things to consider

• Are images of children needed for that particular photo?
• Could this photo be taken from a distance?
• Blur the images of children’s faces, or take only photos of children’s back view
• Take photos over the shoulder of a child
• Avoid mentioning names - even when showing images of children’s immersive writing
• Avoid identifiable images such as school/pre-school logos
• Use a lower resolution photo to help protect the image from being misused