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<!DOCTYPE html>    <html xml:lang=en lang=en dir=ltr ><html xml:lang=en dir=ltr itemscope itemtype=http://schema.org/Blog lang=en-US><head prefix="og: http://ogp.me/ns# fb: http://ogp.me/ns/fb# website: http://ogp.me/ns/website#"><meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" name="viewport"><meta charset="utf-8"><link rel=stylesheet type=text/css media=all href=https://justatic.com/v/20240611a/external/jurist/css/core.css><title>The Silent Predator: Protecting Children in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence - JURIST - Features - Legal News & Commentary</title><meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"><meta name="twitter:site" content=""><meta name="twitter:title" content="The Silent Predator: Protecting Children in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence"><meta name="twitter:description" content="It started with a buzz — a sound so ordinary that Adrianna, a 14-year-old high school freshman, hardly gave it a second thought. But as she walked down the hallway, clutching her phone, she noticed th..."><meta name="twitter:image" content="https://www.jurist.org/features/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/children_ai_1732135178.jpg"><meta name="twitter:url" content="https://www.jurist.org/features/?p=3433"><meta name="twitter:label1" content="Written by"><meta name="twitter:data1" content="Joshua Villanueva | UC Law San Francisco, US"><meta name="twitter:label2" content="Est. reading time"><meta name="twitter:data2" content="7 minutes"><meta property="og:title" content="The Silent Predator: Protecting Children in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence"><meta property="og:description" content="It started with a buzz — a sound so ordinary that Adrianna, a 14-year-old high school freshman, hardly gave it a second thought. 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But as she walked down the hallway, clutching her phone, she noticed the whispers and snickers from classmates. Something wasn\u2019t right.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When Adrianna opened the Instagram notification, her world fell apart. A video showed her engaging in sexually explicit acts with someone she had never met. The video wasn\u2019t real. It was created by generative artificial intelligence (AI) \u2014 hyper-realistic, utterly convincing, and devastatingly fake. With a single tap on her phone, Adrianna’s world shattered, leaving her overwhelmed with pain, embarrassment, and shame. Desperate for comfort, she called home. Her mom answered, her voice filled with worry, \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, sweetie?\u201d Adrianna hesitated, words caught in her throat, until finally, one haunting question escaped: \u201cHow can something so fake look so real?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The Rights of the Child in a Digital World<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This year, on World Children’s Day, the United Nations is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/world-childrens-day\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">calling<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> on adults to “listen to the future” by hearing children\u2019s voices and prioritizing their needs. Generative AI has become a powerful <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iwf.org.uk\/about-us\/why-we-exist\/our-research\/how-ai-is-being-abused-to-create-child-sexual-abuse-imagery\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">tool<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for creativity and innovation. Yet, it poses a grave risk to children in the wrong hands. Hyper-realistic, \u201cdeepfake\u201d AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is becoming increasingly prevalent. While Adrianna\u2019s story is fictional, it highlights a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/technology\/archive\/2024\/09\/ai-generated-csam-crisis\/680034\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">terrifying reality<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> many children face today.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/child-rights-convention\/convention-text\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">enshrines<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> every child\u2019s right to protection from exploitation and abuse. Children have a right to dignity and self-expression, but generative AI <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/innocenti\/generative-ai-risks-and-opportunities-children\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">threatens<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to erode both by allowing bad actors to produce harmful content that floods law enforcement with fake CSAM cases, hinders victim identification, and fuels harassment, blackmail, and scams.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Section 230 and the Global Implications of US Law<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Although the US has not ratified the UNCRC, its laws and policies heavily <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cfr.org\/blog\/revisiting-section-230-implications-are-international\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">influence<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> global technology regulation and child protection standards. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/47\/230\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Section 230<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> of the Communications Decency Act is an example. Although Section 230 is a US law, American companies like Meta, X, and Google host much of the world’s social media content. The policies, systems, and software these companies develop to comply with new US content moderation regulations set a precedent and influence practices far beyond US borders.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Danielle Citron, in her book, <\/span><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.daniellecitron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/How-to-fix-section-230.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Fight For Privacy<\/span><\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>,<\/em> relates how attorneys in Italy and law enforcement officials in South Korea told Citron that they cannot force websites to take down images of their clients or citizens because courts in their countries do not have jurisdiction over U.S.-based companies. Foreign authorities say that \u201cwhen non-US sites remove nonconsensual intimate images, perpetrators do the next best thing \u2014 they post the images on US sites.\u201d Images are likely to remain online despite victims\u2019 complaints, and \u201cperpetrators can always torment victims on sites hosted in the United States, and victims\u2019 home countries can\u2019t do anything about it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Generative AI companies are likely to invoke Section 230 as a shield to criminal liability. Section 230(c)(1) provides that \u201c[n]o provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.\u201d It prevents providers and users of \u201cinteractive computer services\u201d from being held liable as the \u201cpublisher or speaker\u201d of information another person provides. \u201cInteractive computer service\u201d is any service that \u201cprovides or enables computer access by multiple users to a computer server.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Section 230 typically protects platforms from liability for user-generated content, shielding them from being treated as the publisher or speaker. However, this <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/crsreports.congress.gov\/product\/pdf\/R\/R46751\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">immunity does not apply<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> if the platform itself acts as an \u201cinformation content provider\u201d by contributing to the creation or development of the content. Courts <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/crsreports.congress.gov\/product\/pdf\/R\/R46751\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">assess<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> this by examining whether the platform was, in whole or in part, responsible for the content\u2019s creation. The key question is whether the platform\u2019s role goes beyond hosting and into developing the content.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Courts have yet to address how Section 230 applies to claims involving generative AI, but recent cases have pushed its boundaries. In <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/opinions\/22pdf\/21-1333_6j7a.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>Gonzalez v. Google LLC<\/em><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>,<\/em> the plaintiff argued that YouTube\u2019s algorithms aided ISIS by amplifying its content, contributing to a terrorist attack that killed his son. The Ninth Circuit dismissed the case under Section 230, but the Supreme Court vacated and remanded it following <\/span><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/opinions\/22pdf\/21-1496_d18f.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Twitter, Inc. v. Taamneh<\/span><\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. However, during <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oyez.org\/cases\/2022\/21-1333\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">oral arguments<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gonzalez<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Justice Gorsuch questioned whether Section 230 could shield AI-generated content, suggesting the law\u2019s limitations in a \u201cpost-algorithm world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Third Circuit Court of Appeals recently highlighted the potential harm of algorithmically generated content and the evolving issue of accountability in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/appellate-courts\/ca3\/22-3061\/22-3061-2024-08-27.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>Anderson v. TikTok, Inc<\/em>.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The disturbing case centered on whether TikTok could claim Section 230 immunity in a lawsuit filed by the estate of a child who died attempting the \u201cBlackout Challenge,\u201d a choking game trend promoted through TikTok\u2019s algorithm-driven \u201cFor You Page\u201d (FYP). The plaintiff argued that TikTok\u2019s algorithm was liable for recommending such harmful content to minors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The court sided with the plaintiff, ruling that TikTok\u2019s algorithmic recommendations were not shielded by Section 230. It reasoned that curating and tailoring FYP content constituted TikTok\u2019s own expressive activity, making it a creator of unique, first-party content rather than a mere conduit for third-party speech.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Legal Challenges of AI-Generated CSAM<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The way platforms like Facebook or TikTok handle data differs significantly from generative AI models. Generative AI systems perform diverse functions, ranging from creating original content to heavily relying on user prompts. Whether they qualify as \u201cinformation content providers\u201d and lose Section 230 immunity <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/crsreports.congress.gov\/product\/pdf\/LSB\/LSB11097#:~:text=Thus%2C%20the%20constitutionality%20of%20a,outputs%20based%20on%20their%20content.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">depends<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> on their role in shaping the specific content. Courts are likely to rule that Section 230 immunity does not apply if the generative AI contributes, \u201cin whole or in part,\u201d to creating harmful content. For example, if the model generates entirely original output, such as illegal material, in response to an otherwise lawful prompt, its role would likely be seen as a material contribution to the illegal content, removing Section 230 protection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The question remains: How do you prove a crime when the victim does not exist? US laws like 18 U.S.C. \u00a7\u00a7 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/18\/2256#:~:text=such%20visual%20depiction%20has%20been,engaging%20in%20sexually%20explicit%20conduct.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2256<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/18\/1466A\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">1466A<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> criminalize the production or distribution of material depicting minors in sexual acts, involve real victims. In <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/458\/747\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">New York v. Ferber<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the Supreme Court ruled that child pornography is excluded from First Amendment protection, citing the state\u2019s strong interest in protecting minors, the permanent harm caused by distributing such material, its lack of value, and the historical precedent of restricting harmful speech. Since then, courts have consistently <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/casetext.com\/case\/doe-v-mg-freesites-ltd-1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">held<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that \u201cchild pornography is not lawful \u2018information provided by another information content provider\u2019 as contemplated by Section 230 . . . Rather, it is illegal contraband, stemming from the sexual abuse of a child, beyond the covering of First Amendment protection.\u201d The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/572\/434\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Supreme Court<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> has held that \u201ceveryone who reproduces, distributes, or possesses the images of the victim’s abuse . . . plays a part in sustaining and aggravating this tragedy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the case of generative AI, no actual children are involved. A close analogy could be made to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/535\/234\/#:~:text=Free%20Speech%20Coalition%2C%20535%20U.S.%20234%20(2002)&text=If%20speech%20is%20neither%20obscene,speech%20is%20suppressed%20are%20unconstitutional.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, where the Court held that virtual depictions of minors in sexual acts, created without real children, were protected under the First Amendment\u2019s protection of free speech. While the Court acknowledged that \u201cthe images can lead to actual instances of child abuse,\u201d such as pedophiles using videos to encourage children to engage in sexual activity, it still called the causal link \u201ccontingent and indirect\u201d and refused to ban products and activities solely because of their potential immoral use. However, if pornography uses children in any way, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/casetext.com\/case\/united-states-v-mecham-3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">courts<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> protect victims. The Second Circuit made the distinction from Free Speech Coalition in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/casetext.com\/case\/us-v-hotaling-2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>United States v. Hotaling<\/em><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, where using technology to superimpose the faces of real children onto the bodies of adults engaged in sexual acts does not qualify as protected speech under the First Amendment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Similarly, using AI and real children to create child pornography is illegal. A child psychiatrist was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/casetext.com\/case\/united-states-v-tatum-93\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">found guilty<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> of sexual exploitation of a minor and using AI to digitally alter clothed images of minors to create child pornography. \u200b\u200bFabricating nude images of people using real faces is an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.govtech.com\/education\/k-12\/ai-generated-illicit-images-at-middle-school-raise-legal-questions\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">issue<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that has caused a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.govtech.com\/education\/k-12\/ai-generated-images-cause-trouble-at-laguna-beach-high-school\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">dilemma<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in schools.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/media\/1352606\/dl?inline\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">first federal charge<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> of creating CSAM applied to images produced entirely through AI was brought by federal prosecutors against a Wisconsin man in May 2024 for allegedly using a popular AI image generator to create thousands of explicit images of children. The case underscores a largely <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/media\/1352611\/dl?inline\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">untested legal approach<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that federal officials plan to explore further, asserting that AI-generated images should be treated similarly to real-world recordings of child sexual abuse. \u201cCSAM generated by AI is still CSAM, and we will hold accountable those who exploit AI to create obscene, abusive, and increasingly photorealistic images of children,\u201d <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/man-arrested-producing-distributing-and-possessing-ai-generated-images-minors-engaged\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">said<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Obscenity Laws and the Miller Test<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/a23.asmdc.org\/press-releases\/20240929-california-criminalizes-ai-enabled-child-sexual-abuse\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">some states<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> are enacting laws to criminalize AI-generated CSAM in response to technological advancements, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/09\/17\/technology\/california-deepfakes-law-social-media-newsom.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">many<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> still have not addressed this legal gap. The challenge lies in the inevitable <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/press-releases\/aclu-urges-congress-to-strike-down-dangerous-legislation-threatening-to-destroy-digital-privacy-and-free-speech-online\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">First Amendment battles<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> these laws will face. While child pornography is not protected under the First Amendment, cases involving AI-generated content without identifiable victims challenge prosecutors to think outside the box, and turn to obscenity laws, which are far more subjective interpretations, to build their cases.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Given the novelty of AI-generated content and its incompatibility with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/535\/234\/#:~:text=Free%20Speech%20Coalition%2C%20535%20U.S.%20234%20(2002)&text=If%20speech%20is%20neither%20obscene,speech%20is%20suppressed%20are%20unconstitutional.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Free Speech Coalition<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, prosecutors should use the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/413\/15\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Miller three-part test<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">: (1) whether the average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest; (2) whether the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law; and (3) whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. AI-generated CSAM fails all three prongs of the test: \u200b\u200bchild pornography explicitly involving minors engaged in sexual conduct is widely considered repugnant and unacceptable by contemporary community standards, lacks any value to society, and as the Court said in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/458\/747\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ferber<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u201cWe consider it unlikely that visual depictions of children performing sexual acts or lewdly exhibiting their genitals would often constitute an important and necessary part of a literary performance or scientific or educational work.\u201d Therefore, generative AI-created child pornography should be treated as illegal under <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/18\/1466A\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">18 U.S.C. \u00a7 1466A<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, just like any other form of child pornography.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Close the Loopholes: The Need for Global Action and Accountability<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">World Children’s Day reminds us to reflect on the urgent need to protect children from the harms posed by advancing technologies like generative AI. While AI offers boundless opportunities for creativity and progress, it also brings new risks. Adrianna\u2019s fictional story may seem extreme, but it reflects a chilling reality many children face today. Courts and policymakers must carefully balance Section 230\u2019s original purpose with the need to hold platforms accountable when their algorithms and AI systems contribute to harmful content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The call to action is clear: governments, tech companies, and individuals must work together to close legal loopholes, enforce stricter regulations, and prioritize the welfare of children in the face of rapidly evolving technology. Every child deserves a world where their voice is heard, their rights are protected, and their safety is never compromised.<\/span><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n" }</script> <meta name="google-site-verification" content="lst3shwiyZuYnuOj-DksZVuFLMY0n_insAX63BQTA4c"> <script async defer src=https://justatic.com/e/widgets/js/justia.js></script> </head><body class data-directive=j-gdpr data-privacy-policy-url=/privacy-policy/ ><div class=ui-overlay></div><header class=header id=header><div class="wrapper sides-margin"><div class=head><div class=header-logo> <a class=wrapper href=/ title=Jurist> <img alt=Jurist class=logo src=https://justatic.com/v/20240611a/external/jurist/images/jurist/logos/jurist-header.svg> </a></div><div class=header-cta><div class=wrapper> <a class="ui-button -darker" href="https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QVD82R93TVMAG" target=_self>DONATE NOW</a></div></div></div></div><nav class="header-nav sides-margin" role=navigation><div id=burger-menu class=burger-menu 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class="searchicon ui-icon" data-directive=j-search-form><use xmlns:xlink=http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink xlink:href=/justatic/external/jurist/images/icons/search.svg#search></use></svg></button></form></div></div></div></div></header><div class=main-content><div class=wrapper><section class=main-wrapper><div class=single-post><article class=blog-post><div class=graphic> <img src=https://www.jurist.org/features/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/children_ai_1732135178.jpg alt="The Silent Predator: Protecting Children in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence"> <span class=label>Features</span><div class=credits><a href=https://pixabay.com/users/trilemedia/ >trilemedia</a> / Pixabay</div></div><div class=content><header> <strong class="ui-heading3 title"> <a href=#>The Silent Predator: Protecting Children in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence</a> </strong><div class=metadata><div class=author> <span> <a href=https://www.jurist.org/features/author/jvillanueva class="url fn author-jvillanueva author-851 post-author-link" rel=author> <span class=name>Joshua Villanueva | UC Law San Francisco, US</span> </a> </span></div><div class=date> <time datetime=2024-11-20T15:40:33+00:00 class="post-date published">November 20, 2024 03:40:33 pm</time></div></div><div class=share-links xmlns=http://www.w3.org/1999/html> <a class=twitter data-endpoint="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The%20Silent%20Predator%3A%20Protecting%20Children%20in%20the%20Age%20of%20Generative%20Artificial%20Intelligence&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jurist.org%2Ffeatures%2F%3Fp%3D3433&original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jurist.org%2Ffeatures%2F2024%2F11%2F20%2Fthe-silent-predator-protecting-children-in-the-age-of-generative-artificial-intelligence%2F" target=_blank data-directive=j-iframe-popup data-width=600 data-height=600 data-category=Navigation data-action="Social Media" data-label=Twitter> <span class=logo> <svg class=ui-icon width=32 height=32 viewBox="0 0 96 96"> <use xlink:href=/justatic/external/jurist/images/icons/share-sprite.svg#twitter></use> </svg> </span> </a> <a class=linkedin data-endpoint="http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jurist.org%2Ffeatures%2F2024%2F11%2F20%2Fthe-silent-predator-protecting-children-in-the-age-of-generative-artificial-intelligence%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin%26utm_campaign%3Dfeatures-2024-11-20-3433&title=The%20Silent%20Predator%3A%20Protecting%20Children%20in%20the%20Age%20of%20Generative%20Artificial%20Intelligence" target=_blank data-directive=j-iframe-popup data-width=600 data-height=600 data-category=Navigation data-action="Social Media" data-label=LinkedIn> <span class=logo> <svg class=ui-icon width=32 height=32 viewBox="0 0 96 96"> <use xlink:href=/justatic/external/jurist/images/icons/share-sprite.svg#linkedin></use> </svg> </span> </a> <a class=facebook data-endpoint="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jurist.org%2Ffeatures%2F2024%2F11%2F20%2Fthe-silent-predator-protecting-children-in-the-age-of-generative-artificial-intelligence%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook%26utm_campaign%3Dfeatures-2024-11-20-3433" target=_blank data-directive=j-iframe-popup data-width=600 data-height=600 data-category=Navigation data-action="Social Media" data-label=Facebook> <span class=logo> <svg class=ui-icon width=32 height=32 viewBox="0 0 96 96"> <use xlink:href=/justatic/external/jurist/images/icons/share-sprite.svg#facebook></use> </svg> </span> </a></div></header><div class="body _no-margin-bottom _no-padding-bottom"><p><span style="font-weight: 400">It started with a buzz — a sound so ordinary that Adrianna, a 14-year-old high school freshman, hardly gave it a second thought. But as she walked down the hallway, clutching her phone, she noticed the whispers and snickers from classmates. Something wasn’t right.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">When Adrianna opened the Instagram notification, her world fell apart. A video showed her engaging in sexually explicit acts with someone she had never met. The video wasn’t real. It was created by generative artificial intelligence (AI) — hyper-realistic, utterly convincing, and devastatingly fake. With a single tap on her phone, Adrianna’s world shattered, leaving her overwhelmed with pain, embarrassment, and shame. Desperate for comfort, she called home. Her mom answered, her voice filled with worry, “What’s wrong, sweetie?” Adrianna hesitated, words caught in her throat, until finally, one haunting question escaped: “How can something so fake look so real?”</span></p><p><b>The Rights of the Child in a Digital World</b></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">This year, on World Children’s Day, the United Nations is </span><a href=https://www.unicef.org/world-childrens-day><span style="font-weight: 400">calling</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> on adults to “listen to the future” by hearing children’s voices and prioritizing their needs. Generative AI has become a powerful </span><a href=https://www.iwf.org.uk/about-us/why-we-exist/our-research/how-ai-is-being-abused-to-create-child-sexual-abuse-imagery/ ><span style="font-weight: 400">tool</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> for creativity and innovation. Yet, it poses a grave risk to children in the wrong hands. Hyper-realistic, “deepfake” AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is becoming increasingly prevalent. While Adrianna’s story is fictional, it highlights a </span><a href=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/09/ai-generated-csam-crisis/680034/ ><span style="font-weight: 400">terrifying reality</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> many children face today.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">The Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) </span><a href=https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-text><span style="font-weight: 400">enshrines</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> every child’s right to protection from exploitation and abuse. Children have a right to dignity and self-expression, but generative AI </span><a href=https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/generative-ai-risks-and-opportunities-children><span style="font-weight: 400">threatens</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> to erode both by allowing bad actors to produce harmful content that floods law enforcement with fake CSAM cases, hinders victim identification, and fuels harassment, blackmail, and scams.</span></p><p><b>Section 230 and the Global Implications of US Law</b></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Although the US has not ratified the UNCRC, its laws and policies heavily </span><a href=https://www.cfr.org/blog/revisiting-section-230-implications-are-international><span style="font-weight: 400">influence</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> global technology regulation and child protection standards. </span><a href=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/47/230><span style="font-weight: 400">Section 230</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> of the Communications Decency Act is an example. Although Section 230 is a US law, American companies like Meta, X, and Google host much of the world’s social media content. The policies, systems, and software these companies develop to comply with new US content moderation regulations set a precedent and influence practices far beyond US borders.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Danielle Citron, in her book, </span><em><a href=https://www.daniellecitron.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/How-to-fix-section-230.pdf><span style="font-weight: 400">The Fight For Privacy</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400"><em>,</em> relates how attorneys in Italy and law enforcement officials in South Korea told Citron that they cannot force websites to take down images of their clients or citizens because courts in their countries do not have jurisdiction over U.S.-based companies. Foreign authorities say that “when non-US sites remove nonconsensual intimate images, perpetrators do the next best thing — they post the images on US sites.” Images are likely to remain online despite victims’ complaints, and “perpetrators can always torment victims on sites hosted in the United States, and victims’ home countries can’t do anything about it.”</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Generative AI companies are likely to invoke Section 230 as a shield to criminal liability. Section 230(c)(1) provides that “[n]o provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.” It prevents providers and users of “interactive computer services” from being held liable as the “publisher or speaker” of information another person provides. “Interactive computer service” is any service that “provides or enables computer access by multiple users to a computer server.”</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Section 230 typically protects platforms from liability for user-generated content, shielding them from being treated as the publisher or speaker. However, this </span><a href=https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46751><span style="font-weight: 400">immunity does not apply</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> if the platform itself acts as an “information content provider” by contributing to the creation or development of the content. Courts </span><a href=https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46751><span style="font-weight: 400">assess</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> this by examining whether the platform was, in whole or in part, responsible for the content’s creation. The key question is whether the platform’s role goes beyond hosting and into developing the content.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Courts have yet to address how Section 230 applies to claims involving generative AI, but recent cases have pushed its boundaries. In </span><a href=https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/21-1333_6j7a.pdf><span style="font-weight: 400"><em>Gonzalez v. Google LLC</em></span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"><em>,</em> the plaintiff argued that YouTube’s algorithms aided ISIS by amplifying its content, contributing to a terrorist attack that killed his son. The Ninth Circuit dismissed the case under Section 230, but the Supreme Court vacated and remanded it following </span><em><a href=https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/21-1496_d18f.pdf><span style="font-weight: 400">Twitter, Inc. v. Taamneh</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400">. However, during </span><a href=https://www.oyez.org/cases/2022/21-1333><span style="font-weight: 400">oral arguments</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400">Gonzalez</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400">, Justice Gorsuch questioned whether Section 230 could shield AI-generated content, suggesting the law’s limitations in a “post-algorithm world.”</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">The Third Circuit Court of Appeals recently highlighted the potential harm of algorithmically generated content and the evolving issue of accountability in </span><a href=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca3/22-3061/22-3061-2024-08-27.html><span style="font-weight: 400"><em>Anderson v. TikTok, Inc</em>.</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">. The disturbing case centered on whether TikTok could claim Section 230 immunity in a lawsuit filed by the estate of a child who died attempting the “Blackout Challenge,” a choking game trend promoted through TikTok’s algorithm-driven “For You Page” (FYP). The plaintiff argued that TikTok’s algorithm was liable for recommending such harmful content to minors.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">The court sided with the plaintiff, ruling that TikTok’s algorithmic recommendations were not shielded by Section 230. It reasoned that curating and tailoring FYP content constituted TikTok’s own expressive activity, making it a creator of unique, first-party content rather than a mere conduit for third-party speech. </span></p><p><b>Legal Challenges of AI-Generated CSAM</b></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">The way platforms like Facebook or TikTok handle data differs significantly from generative AI models. Generative AI systems perform diverse functions, ranging from creating original content to heavily relying on user prompts. Whether they qualify as “information content providers” and lose Section 230 immunity </span><a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB11097#:~:text=Thus%2C%20the%20constitutionality%20of%20a,outputs%20based%20on%20their%20content."><span style="font-weight: 400">depends</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> on their role in shaping the specific content. Courts are likely to rule that Section 230 immunity does not apply if the generative AI contributes, “in whole or in part,” to creating harmful content. For example, if the model generates entirely original output, such as illegal material, in response to an otherwise lawful prompt, its role would likely be seen as a material contribution to the illegal content, removing Section 230 protection.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">The question remains: How do you prove a crime when the victim does not exist? US laws like 18 U.S.C. §§ </span><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2256#:~:text=such%20visual%20depiction%20has%20been,engaging%20in%20sexually%20explicit%20conduct."><span style="font-weight: 400">2256</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> and </span><a href=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1466A><span style="font-weight: 400">1466A</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> criminalize the production or distribution of material depicting minors in sexual acts, involve real victims. In </span><a href=https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/458/747/ ><span style="font-weight: 400">New York v. Ferber</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">, the Supreme Court ruled that child pornography is excluded from First Amendment protection, citing the state’s strong interest in protecting minors, the permanent harm caused by distributing such material, its lack of value, and the historical precedent of restricting harmful speech. Since then, courts have consistently </span><a href=https://casetext.com/case/doe-v-mg-freesites-ltd-1><span style="font-weight: 400">held</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> that “child pornography is not lawful ‘information provided by another information content provider’ as contemplated by Section 230 . . . Rather, it is illegal contraband, stemming from the sexual abuse of a child, beyond the covering of First Amendment protection.” The </span><a href=https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/572/434/ ><span style="font-weight: 400">Supreme Court</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> has held that “everyone who reproduces, distributes, or possesses the images of the victim’s abuse . . . plays a part in sustaining and aggravating this tragedy.”</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">In the case of generative AI, no actual children are involved. A close analogy could be made to </span><a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/535/234/#:~:text=Free%20Speech%20Coalition%2C%20535%20U.S.%20234%20(2002)&text=If%20speech%20is%20neither%20obscene,speech%20is%20suppressed%20are%20unconstitutional."><span style="font-weight: 400">Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">, where the Court held that virtual depictions of minors in sexual acts, created without real children, were protected under the First Amendment’s protection of free speech. While the Court acknowledged that “the images can lead to actual instances of child abuse,” such as pedophiles using videos to encourage children to engage in sexual activity, it still called the causal link “contingent and indirect” and refused to ban products and activities solely because of their potential immoral use. However, if pornography uses children in any way, </span><a href=https://casetext.com/case/united-states-v-mecham-3><span style="font-weight: 400">courts</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> protect victims. The Second Circuit made the distinction from Free Speech Coalition in </span><a href=https://casetext.com/case/us-v-hotaling-2><span style="font-weight: 400"><em>United States v. Hotaling</em></span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">, where using technology to superimpose the faces of real children onto the bodies of adults engaged in sexual acts does not qualify as protected speech under the First Amendment.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Similarly, using AI and real children to create child pornography is illegal. A child psychiatrist was </span><a href=https://casetext.com/case/united-states-v-tatum-93><span style="font-weight: 400">found guilty</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> of sexual exploitation of a minor and using AI to digitally alter clothed images of minors to create child pornography. Fabricating nude images of people using real faces is an </span><a href=https://www.govtech.com/education/k-12/ai-generated-illicit-images-at-middle-school-raise-legal-questions><span style="font-weight: 400">issue</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> that has caused a </span><a href=https://www.govtech.com/education/k-12/ai-generated-images-cause-trouble-at-laguna-beach-high-school><span style="font-weight: 400">dilemma</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> in schools.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">The </span><a href=https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1352606/dl?inline><span style="font-weight: 400">first federal charge</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> of creating CSAM applied to images produced entirely through AI was brought by federal prosecutors against a Wisconsin man in May 2024 for allegedly using a popular AI image generator to create thousands of explicit images of children. The case underscores a largely </span><a href=https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1352611/dl?inline><span style="font-weight: 400">untested legal approach</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> that federal officials plan to explore further, asserting that AI-generated images should be treated similarly to real-world recordings of child sexual abuse. “CSAM generated by AI is still CSAM, and we will hold accountable those who exploit AI to create obscene, abusive, and increasingly photorealistic images of children,” </span><a href=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/man-arrested-producing-distributing-and-possessing-ai-generated-images-minors-engaged><span style="font-weight: 400">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.</span></p><p><b>Obscenity Laws and the Miller Test</b></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">While </span><a href=https://a23.asmdc.org/press-releases/20240929-california-criminalizes-ai-enabled-child-sexual-abuse><span style="font-weight: 400">some states</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> are enacting laws to criminalize AI-generated CSAM in response to technological advancements, </span><a href=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/17/technology/california-deepfakes-law-social-media-newsom.html><span style="font-weight: 400">many</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> still have not addressed this legal gap. The challenge lies in the inevitable </span><a href=https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-urges-congress-to-strike-down-dangerous-legislation-threatening-to-destroy-digital-privacy-and-free-speech-online><span style="font-weight: 400">First Amendment battles</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> these laws will face. While child pornography is not protected under the First Amendment, cases involving AI-generated content without identifiable victims challenge prosecutors to think outside the box, and turn to obscenity laws, which are far more subjective interpretations, to build their cases.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">Given the novelty of AI-generated content and its incompatibility with </span><a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/535/234/#:~:text=Free%20Speech%20Coalition%2C%20535%20U.S.%20234%20(2002)&text=If%20speech%20is%20neither%20obscene,speech%20is%20suppressed%20are%20unconstitutional."><span style="font-weight: 400">Free Speech Coalition</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">, prosecutors should use the </span><a href=https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/413/15/ ><span style="font-weight: 400">Miller three-part test</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">: (1) whether the average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest; (2) whether the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law; and (3) whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. AI-generated CSAM fails all three prongs of the test: child pornography explicitly involving minors engaged in sexual conduct is widely considered repugnant and unacceptable by contemporary community standards, lacks any value to society, and as the Court said in </span><a href=https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/458/747/ ><span style="font-weight: 400">Ferber</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">, “We consider it unlikely that visual depictions of children performing sexual acts or lewdly exhibiting their genitals would often constitute an important and necessary part of a literary performance or scientific or educational work.” Therefore, generative AI-created child pornography should be treated as illegal under </span><a href=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1466A><span style="font-weight: 400">18 U.S.C. § 1466A</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">, just like any other form of child pornography.</span></p><p><b>Close the Loopholes: The Need for Global Action and Accountability</b></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">World Children’s Day reminds us to reflect on the urgent need to protect children from the harms posed by advancing technologies like generative AI. While AI offers boundless opportunities for creativity and progress, it also brings new risks. Adrianna’s fictional story may seem extreme, but it reflects a chilling reality many children face today. Courts and policymakers must carefully balance Section 230’s original purpose with the need to hold platforms accountable when their algorithms and AI systems contribute to harmful content. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400">The call to action is clear: governments, tech companies, and individuals must work together to close legal loopholes, enforce stricter regulations, and prioritize the welfare of children in the face of rapidly evolving technology. Every child deserves a world where their voice is heard, their rights are protected, and their safety is never compromised.</span></p><p> </p></div></div></article></div></section><aside class=sidebar-column><div class=graphic> <a href=/apply/ ><img src=https://justatic.com/v/20240611a/external/jurist/images/assets/law-students-to-join-jurist.png alt="Law students to join jurist" class=_no-margin-top></a></div><div class="widget subscribe-form"> <strong class="ui-heading1 title _color-accent"> GET OUR DAILY DIGEST </strong><div class=wrapper><form action="https://jurist.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=a66d508c4e202ea7eeb361410&id=63e224c141" method=post id=mc-embedded-subscribe-form name=mc-embedded-subscribe-form class="ui-form validate" target=_blank novalidate><div class=ui-field> <label for=mce-EMAIL class=screen-reader-text>Email Address</label> <input type=email id=mce-EMAIL placeholder="Email Address" value name=EMAIL aria-label="Email Address"></div><div style="position: absolute; 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