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Parents of students at The Friends School have criticised how the school responded to the circulation of AI-doctored pornographic depictions of female students. (ABC News: Jake Grant)<\/p>\n
They chose to tell them, but said their children felt silenced and unsupported, not knowing whether their peers had been told or not.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The school said it had acted on police and expert advice, and that the images had been created on personal devices outside of school hours, meaning it could not address the challenges of deepfakes on its own.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So what should parents and schools do when there’s a deepfake incident involving students?<\/p>\n
What is a ‘deepfake’?![\"Hands](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/e61bd4a3e37d897d80f2c3da3b513df2.jpeg\")
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The eSafety Commissioner says victims often don’t know their image has been used in a deepfake. (Supplied: Adobe Stock)<\/p>\n
A deepfake is a photo, video or sound file that’s been created using AI technology to show someone doing or saying something that they didn’t actually do or say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The material can be very realistic, especially when seen on a small screen, and is easily shared.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mum says school encouraged her ‘not to tell’ daughter about deepfake scandal<\/a><\/p>\n Two parents of girls at a private school have criticised the institution’s response to a deepfake incident, saying they were encouraged not to tell their daughters.<\/p>\n The eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant said deepfakes might be created for a range of reasons, such as to harass or humiliate someone, for sexual gratification, or for child sexual abuse.\u00a0<\/p>\n Victims often don’t know their image has been used in a deepfake.\u00a0<\/p>\n The person creating the deepfake might use someone’s social media image, such as a selfie or even a school photo.\u00a0<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the apps that create this kind of material are easy to use, often at low or no cost.<\/p>\n How big of an issue is it among school students? eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant says deepfake incidents are throwing entire schools into turmoil. (Four Corners: Keana Naughton)<\/p>\n It’s a crisis, according to the eSafety commissioner.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2024, data showed a 550 per cent year-on-year increase in deepfakes appearing online since 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n Pornographic videos made up 98 per cent of the deepfake material online, and that 99 per cent of the imagery was of women and girls.<\/p>\n Deepfake image-based abuse happening at least once a week in schools<\/a><\/p>\n The latest data revealed by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner comes just days after reports that digitally altered explicit images of female students from a Sydney high school were shared online.<\/p>\n Deepfake incidents were throwing entire schools into turmoil, Ms Inman Grant said, with staff, parents and students often unsure how to respond.\u00a0<\/p>\n Targets were left feeling humiliated, angry and afraid.\u00a0<\/p>\n Students on the receiving end of deepfake material \u2014 in group chats or private messages \u2014 were sometimes also left feeling fearful and confused, unsure whether to report it or how to support their friends.\u00a0<\/p>\n They often also worried they’d be next.<\/p>\n What is the school’s responsibility? And what is best practice?<\/p>\n It can be a very difficult topic to navigate, particularly when material can be made on private devices and in private settings, but it still involves students.\u00a0<\/p>\n The well-being of the young people and\/or any staff members involved is a priority, according to the eSafety Commissioner.\u00a0<\/p>\n Deepfake content can be quickly created on devices like laptops and phones, making it challenging to crack down on. (Unsplash: Kaitlyn Baker<\/a>)<\/p>\n Schools are considered frontline responders and they need to give student victims a sense of agency and be involved in decision-making.\u00a0<\/p>\n The reputation of the school shouldn’t be the focus of the response.\u00a0<\/p>\n Deepfake laws have now been used for the first time. What are they?<\/a><\/p>\n As the first case under new anti-deepfake legislation goes before the courts, authorities and experts say the rise in the creation of the non-consensual sexually explicit material is concerning.<\/p>\n A school staff leader should be appointed to manage the incident, with information shared only on a need-to-know basis.\u00a0<\/p>\n The incident should be reported to police and eSafety, and the family of an affected student should be kept informed of the actions the school is taking.\u00a0<\/p>\n The school should also engage additional services to support the well-being of those involved.<\/p>\n It’s also important to build policies and education around digital literacy, respectful relationships, and consent.<\/p>\n Policies around digital literacy and consent can help prevent the creation of deepfake content. (ABC Mildura Swan Hill: Timu King)<\/p>\n What should you do if your child’s image has been used in deepfake pornography?<\/p>\n If your child comes to you, stay calm and start working out a plan to respond to the incident together.\u00a0<\/p>\n The eSafety commissioner suggests collecting evidence \u2014 screenshots, links, usernames \u2014 without saving or sharing the content.\u00a0<\/p>\n Creating deepfakes has never been easier, so what should parents do?<\/a><\/p>\n Some parents may feel distressed and ill-equipped to tackle the issue of image-based abuse and deepfakes. This is what to watch out for.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Julie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3a2b86f156d0a197b90334b6c5f80d86.jpeg\")
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