Part 9 - Deepfakes Are Real: What Parents Need to See to Understand

Part 9 of 12 in the Try It Yourself series — practical AI guidance for parents at blog.parentsguidetoai.ca

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This post is a bit different from the others. It covers something serious.

We've spent the previous posts on practical skills and hands-on exercises. This one is about a harm that is already happening to young people — including children in BC — and that parents need to understand before it affects their family.

The parent's guide covers this in Section 12. We're covering it here because it deserves more than a brief mention.

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What deepfakes actually are

The word "deepfake" comes from "deep learning" (a type of AI) and "fake." It refers to AI-generated media — images, video, or audio — that depicts real people doing or saying things they never actually did.

The technology has been around for several years, but it has gotten dramatically more accessible. Tools that once required significant technical skill and computing power now run in apps and websites that anyone can access.

The result: a realistic-looking fake image of a real person can now be created in minutes, by someone with no technical background, using only a photograph.

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Why deepfakes are harder to spot than you expect

Many parents assume that fake images and videos look obviously fake. This is less and less true.

There is no reliable visual checklist — the "look for six fingers" advice has not kept up with the current generation of tools. Newer deepfakes often pass casual inspection, particularly in still images. Video deepfakes are still sometimes detectable, but audio deepfakes (voice cloning) are frequently indistinguishable from real recordings.

The parent's guide is direct about this:

"Even with scrutiny, these fakes are often extremely hard to detect."

This is not meant to be alarming — it's meant to set accurate expectations. When we tell children "you can just tell," we're not being honest.

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The specific harms targeting young people

Two types of harm appear repeatedly in the research, in news coverage, and in the resources compiled by organizations like MediaSmarts and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.

Non-consensual intimate images (NCII): AI tools are being used to generate fake explicit images of real people — including minors — from ordinary photographs. These images are then distributed online or used for harassment. The person depicted didn't consent, wasn't present, and may not know the image exists until it has already spread.

Sextortion: This refers to coercive threats — "pay money or I'll share these images" — using real or fabricated intimate images. Sextortion cases targeting teenagers have increased significantly, including cases where the images used are AI-generated fakes.¹ The target can be victimized even if the images are not real.

Both of these are crimes in Canada. British Columbia has specific legislation covering this.

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BC legal protections

In 2023, British Columbia passed the Intimate Images Protection Act. The law applies to both real and AI-generated intimate images distributed without consent. It provides legal remedies including the ability to seek a tribunal or court order requiring platforms to remove content.²

The parent's guide summarizes this:

"British Columbia has legal protections that cover these situations."

This doesn't mean the process is easy or fast. It means there is a legal framework, and it is worth knowing it exists.

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What to do if this happens

If your child is affected — whether through NCII, sextortion, or any related situation — the following resources are specifically designed to help:

Take Back Your Images (BC Intimate Images Protection Service): A free service that creates a digital fingerprint of an intimate image so it can be detected and removed from participating platforms. This tool can be used proactively, before anything happens, and it can also be used after.

NeedHelpNow.ca: Designed specifically for young people in Canada. If an intimate image of a minor is circulating online, this site provides step-by-step guidance on reporting and removal. It is specifically designed for teens, and the language reflects that.

Cybertip.ca: The Canadian Centre for Child Protection's online reporting line for child sexual exploitation material. If AI-generated intimate images of a minor are involved, this is the appropriate reporting channel in Canada.

ERASE (Expect Respect and A Safe Education): BC's school-based safe schools reporting system. Schools can be a resource, and ERASE provides a way to involve the school if the situation started there or involves classmates.

Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (24/7), or text CONNECT to 686868. For young people who need to talk to someone right now, Kids Help Phone has counsellors available around the clock.

None of these resources require you to know in advance whether the situation is "serious enough." They are designed for exactly the kind of uncertainty most families face in these moments. Call, report, or reach out — the organizations will help you figure out next steps.

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Having the conversation before something goes wrong

The parent's guide recommends talking about this before a crisis. That advice is correct and worth repeating.

Waiting until your child is already in a difficult situation to explain deepfakes, consent, and what to do is harder for both of you. A low-stakes conversation now — "have you heard of deepfakes? here's what they are and here's what to do if something ever worries you" — gives your child a framework before they need it.

Some families find it easier to start this conversation by reading a news article together. Others find it easier to connect it to the parent's guide: "I've been reading this guide, and there's a section I think we should talk about."

However you get there: the conversation is worth having.

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The short version:

• Deepfakes are AI-generated fake images, video, and audio. They are increasingly realistic and easy to create.
• The most serious harms involve non-consensual intimate images (NCII) and sextortion targeting young people.
• BC's Intimate Images Protection Act covers both real and AI-generated intimate images.
• If your family is affected: Take Back Your Images, NeedHelpNow.ca, Cybertip.ca, ERASE, Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868).
• Have the conversation now, not after something goes wrong.

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The next post returns to a practical skill that complements everything in this series: how to recognize when AI answers reflect bias — and how to teach that skill to your children.

Read Section 12 of the parent's guide: parentsguidetoai.ca — it covers this topic in full, with additional links and resources. Bookmark the resources above regardless of whether you need them right now.

Next up: Post 10 — Recognizing Bias in AI Answers: A Skill Every Parent Can Learn

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Notes