How To Check If An AI Photo Or Video App Can Misuse Your Child’s Photo

There are several 'kiss and hug' AI apps that can turn ordinary photographs into intimate-looking videos without the consent of the person shown. India’s child rights regulator has summoned Google over such apps on the Play Store, and new platform guidelines are expected by December - but parents should not wait for regulation to reduce the risk.

The danger is not limited to obviously sexual apps. A seemingly harmless photo editor that asks for gallery access, offers 'romantic video' templates, or generates realistic clips from faces can expose a child to impersonation, harassment, and non-consensual synthetic imagery.

Here are some preventive measures parents need to know.

1. Check the app before installing

Before your child downloads any AI photo or video app, open its Play Store listing and read beyond the star rating.

- Look for what the app generates. Avoid apps that create kissing, hugging, romantic, 'couple', 'nudify', face-swap, or realistic deepfake videos from uploaded photos.

- Read recent reviews. Search for words such as 'fake', 'consent', 'inappropriate', 'refund', 'ads', or 'child'. Reviews often reveal behaviour the description hides.

- Check the developer. Be cautious with unknown developers, apps with few downloads, vague privacy policies, or no working website.

- Do not trust the age rating alone. Some AI 'kiss and hug' apps were listed with a 3+ rating despite generating intimate videos from real people’s photographs.

Google says its policies prohibit apps that create non-consensual deepfake sexual material or generative AI content intended for sexual gratification, and that it investigates reported violations. But enforcement is reactive, so parental review remains essential.

2. Review permissions immediately

After installing any app, restrict what it can access.

1. Open Settings > Apps and select the app.

2. Tap Permissions.

3. Deny Contacts, Microphone, Location, Notifications, and Nearby devices unless there is a clear need.

4. For Photos and videos, choose Select photos and videos rather than 'Allow all'.

5. Check whether the app can access the camera. If it is only an editor, camera access may be unnecessary.

6. Disable 'Install unknown apps' permissions for browsers and file managers unless specifically required.

A photo-editing app should not need your child’s entire gallery, contacts, or location. Broad permissions are one of the clearest warning signs.

3. Use Family Link properly

Google’s Family Link lets parents approve or decline app downloads and in-app purchases, while also managing permissions and content filters across Google services.

- Create a supervised Google account for your child rather than letting them use an adult account.

- In Family Link > Controls > Google Play, set an appropriate content maturity filter for apps, games, movies, and TV.

- Turn on purchase approval so no app is downloaded without your review.

- Periodically open App activity and remove apps you do not recognise.

- Use device-level controls to block installations from unknown sources.

Parental controls are not foolproof - researchers have found that misrated explicit or “nudify” apps can still surface for teens - but they meaningfully reduce unsupervised downloads.

Spot the red flags

Treat an app as high-risk if it:

- Asks for one or more face photos before showing what the output will look like.

- Promises 'realistic' kissing, hugging, romance, undressing, or celebrity-style transformations.

- Has no visible AI labelling, reporting button, or content-moderation policy.

- Pushes aggressive ads, subscriptions, or 'unlock premium' prompts.

- Has a child-friendly age rating despite adult-themed previews or descriptions.

- Does not clearly state where uploaded images are stored, for how long, or whether they train an AI model.

Google Play policy requires AI-generating apps to prevent restricted content and provide in-app reporting or flagging features. If those safeguards are missing, do not let your child use the app.

If a photo has already been misused

Act quickly and preserve evidence.

1. Do not share or forward the image or video further.

2. Take screenshots of the app listing, content, username, URL, and date.

3. Report the content on the platform where it appears and request removal.

4. Report the app on Google Play: open its listing, tap Flag as inappropriate, choose a reason, and submit.

5. If the content involves a child, report it through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930.

6. For content involving nudity, morphed imagery, or exploitation, Indian rules require intermediaries to take reasonable and practicable steps to remove or disable access within two hours of a complaint.

NCPCR’s own online-safety guidance advises identifying the platform hosting the image, stating that the person in it is a child, and clearly requesting removal because consent was not given.

Published on: Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 01:03 PM IST