Australian Authorities Act Against AI-Generated Child Exploitation Material
Australian internet users have been blocked from accessing several websites that utilized artificial intelligence to create child sexual exploitation material. The **eSafety Commissioner**, a key Australian internet regulator, announced on **Thursday, November 27, 2025**, that three prominent 'nudify' sites have withdrawn their services from Australia following official warnings and enforcement action.
The crackdown comes after these services were found to be receiving approximately **100,000 monthly visits from Australians**. These platforms allowed users to generate explicit images, often depicting real individuals, including school children, without consent.
Enforcement Action and Non-Compliance
The **eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant** confirmed that enforcement action was initiated in **September 2025**. This involved issuing a formal warning to a **UK-based company** (identified as **Itai Tech** in some reports) responsible for the 'nudify' services. The warning cited non-compliance with Australia's mandatory Codes and Standards, which require online industry members to take significant steps to combat harmful online content.
Commissioner Inman Grant stated that the provider 'failed to put in safeguards to prevent its services being used to create child sexual exploitation material' and was 'even marketing features like undressing 'any girl,' and with options for 'schoolgirl' image generation and features such as 'sex mode'.' These features were deemed 'alarming' and clearly targeted at children.
Broader Impact and Industry Response
The eSafety Commissioner believes this action will have a 'tangible impact' on the number of Australian schoolchildren falling victim to AI-generated child sexual exploitation. The issue has been particularly devastating in Australian schools, where students have used these services to create fake nude images of their peers.
In addition to the direct blocking of 'nudify' sites, the global AI model hosting platform **Hugging Face** has also taken steps to comply with Australian law. Following discussions with eSafety, Hugging Face updated its terms of service, now requiring all account holders to minimize risks associated with uploaded models, specifically to prevent their misuse in generating child sexual exploitation material or pro-terror content.
Australia has been at the forefront of global efforts to prevent online harm, including implementing a ban on social media for under-16s. The government has indicated it will use every available measure to restrict access to such abusive AI tools, with potential fines for non-compliance reaching up to **AUD$49.5 million** (approximately **US$32.3 million**).
5 Comments
lettlelenok
While shutting down these 'nudify' sites is absolutely necessary for child safety, we also need to address the cultural issues that create demand for such content. Enforcement alone isn't a complete solution.
Africa
So relieved to see these dangerous sites shut down. A huge win for online safety.
Muchacho
Protecting children from this filth is paramount. Australia setting a global example.
Bella Ciao
It's good to see eSafety taking strong action against these harmful platforms, but we must ensure such powers aren't misused for general content control. The line between protection and censorship can be thin.
Mariposa
While the crackdown is commendable and crucial for protecting young people, it highlights a larger problem with AI ethics and regulation globally. More international cooperation is needed to truly tackle this issue at its source.