Cyber Safety in the News
New York Magazine, April 3, 2025
This article examines the cultural anxiety surrounding adolescent boys and their online habits, particularly in light of Netflix’s series Adolescence. The show has intensified concerns about “internet brain rot,” a term reflecting fears that digital content is negatively influencing teen boys’ development.
The article underscores the need for a more nuanced understanding of how digital media impacts young males. Rather than attributing problematic behavior solely to internet exposure, one needs to examine societal expectations of masculinity and the role of technology in adolescents’ lives. By shifting the focus from blame to comprehension, this piece calls for a more empathetic and informed approach to addressing the challenges faced by teen boys in the digital age. We speak with parents and teachers every day who are deeply concerned about how much harmful and extreme content boys are exposed to online, shaping their views on violence, relationships, and masculinity in ways that can hurt both them and the people around them.
Forbes, April 8, 2025
The generative AI wave has brought with it a growing volume of sexually explicit images of children created from innocent family photos. Thanks to the widespread availability of “nudify” apps, AI generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is exploding, and law enforcement is struggling to keep up.
Mike Prado, a deputy assistant director at the DHS ICE Cyber Crimes Unit, says that he’s seen cases where images of minors posted to social media have been turned into CSAM with AI. “This is, unfortunately, one of the most significant shifts in technology that we’ve seen to facilitate the creation of CSAM in a generation,” he told Forbes. And worse, Prado also says predators have taken photos of children on the street to modify into illegal material. As Forbes reported last year, one man took images of children at Disney World and outside a school before turning them into CSAM.
“We see it occurring on a more frequent basis, and it’s growing exponentially,” Prado told Forbes. These scenarios are no longer something that could happen in the future, unfortunately this is a reality that is happening every day. We have heard from parents who are now thinking twice before posting innocent pictures of their children on their own social media accounts.
President Trump signs executive order boosting AI in K-12 schools
USA Today, April 23, 2025
President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at bringing artificial intelligence into K-12 schools in hopes of building a U.S. workforce equipped to use and advance the rapidly growing technology. The directive instructs the U.S. Education and Labor Departments to create opportunities for high school students to take AI courses and certification programs, and to work with states to promote AI education. Trump also directed the Education Department to favor the application of AI in discretionary grant programs for teacher training, the National Science Foundation to prioritize research on the use of AI in education, and the Labor Department to expand AI-related apprenticeships.
Both Democrats and Republicans have expressed fears about American students falling behind other nations, particularly China, as technology becomes more advanced and integrated into the workforce.
At Cyber Safety Consulting, we have a focus on student education that includes teaching students how to think critically about Artificial Intelligence. This includes helping them understand how AI systems learn from data, make predictions, and impact daily life. We work with students to explore both the benefits and ethical challenges of AI, such as fairness, privacy, and responsible use.
Meta’s ‘Digital Companions’ Will Talk Sex with Users—Even Children
The Wall Street Journal, April 26, 2025
Meta Platforms is under scrutiny for deploying AI-powered digital companions across its platforms—Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp—that can engage in sexual conversations, including with underage users. These bots, promoted by Mark Zuckerberg as the future of social media, offer advanced interaction features such as voice conversations using celebrity voices. However, internal staff have expressed concerns that the company has relaxed guardrails, allowing for romantic and sexually explicit role-play. Testing by The Wall Street Journal revealed these chatbots routinely engaged in explicit fantasies, sometimes acknowledging the illegality of such behavior – even if the user repeatedly said they were only 13 years old. The company maintains that such cases are not typical user experiences but continues to allow users to access highly sexualized AI personas, including youth-impersonating bots.
Critics argue that Meta’s emphasis on engagement and entertainment, particularly targeting younger demographics, has led to the deployment of AI chatbots with distinct personalities designed to captivate users. These chatbots, intended to compete with platforms like TikTok, have raised concerns due to their potential to generate controversial content. Meta’s approach has been questioned for its safety implications, especially given the company’s history of challenges in protecting young users. Experts warn of unknown mental health risks for youth building parasocial relationships with AI and question the safety and ethics of such accessibility.
Congress Passes Bill to Fight Deepfake Nudes, Revenge Porn
The Washington Post, April 28, 2025
This month, Congress overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan Take It Down Act to combat nonconsensual intimate imagery (NCII), including AI-generated deepfake nudes and revenge porn. The bill, co-sponsored by Senators Ted Cruz and Amy Klobuchar and supported by First Lady Melania Trump’s “Be Best” campaign, passed the House 409-2 after unanimous Senate approval.
It criminalizes knowingly sharing or threatening to share intimate images without consent, whether real or AI-generated, and requires online platforms to remove reported content within 48 hours. Major tech companies like Meta, Google, and Snap, along with advocacy groups, backed the legislation, and enforcement will fall to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
However, digital rights groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation have raised concerns that the bill’s broad language could risk censorship, misuse of takedown systems, and challenges to free speech. Critics worry about impacts on encrypted communication and potential partisan enforcement, especially with shifts in FTC leadership. Despite these objections, we see it as a crucial first step toward stronger regulation of online abuse and harms, while further protecting children online.
