AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material Circulates Among Minors in Portugal
Portugal's Internet Safety Center reports receiving requests for help related to child sexual abuse material generated with AI, which is being shared among minors through messaging apps and social media. According to the center, the material is produced by peers and schoolmates using widely accessible AI tools, and global reports show AI-generated child abuse material increased 400% in the first half of 2025.
What happened
The Centro Internet Segura (CIS) reported receiving requests for help related to child sexual abuse material generated with artificial intelligence in Portugal. The illegal content is produced by peers or schoolmates and shared through WhatsApp groups and Instagram stories.
The material is created using readily accessible, free AI tools that can rapidly generate images and videos. The Internet Watch Foundation reported that AI-generated child sexual abuse material increased 400% in the first half of 2025, with 210 online pages containing such content detected globally.
Reported impact
The CIS warns that AI-generated material facilitates child recruitment and exploitation. Once images of minors are available online, anyone can use them to generate artificial sexual material, making it easier to create fake identities to contact children and obtain illegal sexual content.
Index analysis
Detection of AI-generated content is difficult, as no widely available technology currently exists to reliably identify synthesized material. The CIS notes that tools created for legitimate purposes are rapidly being repurposed for malicious ends, including generating defamatory or intimate images.
Governance controls
No specific governance controls are mentioned in the available facts.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.