Staff Reports
Parents, take the warning seriously: AI is not just a gadget; it is changing how predators operate and how kids think. Melissa Henson, Senior Policy Advisor for Media and Culture at Concerned Women for America, told Lorie Johnson at CBN that policy is moving too slowly while technology races ahead. If you want clear rules and real protection for children, don’t wait for Big Tech or friendly judges to solve this for you — demand action now.
A legal gap that’s not small
The courts are muddling through faster technology than Congress or federal lawmakers. In United States v. Anderegg, a three‑judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit tossed a possession count that covered AI‑generated sexual images that do not depict a real child. Judge John Z. Lee wrote that precedents control, but he also urged the Supreme Court or Congress to step in because imaging tech has moved on. Translation: the law used to work when pixels were pixels, but now pixels can be weaponized. Production, distribution, and transfer counts were left on the table — so making or selling this trash is still a crime. The narrow ruling, however, shows how quickly gaps appear when lawmakers and judges lag behind code.
Platforms failing to catch obvious harm
Meanwhile, watchdogs found hundreds of paid ads with AI‑generated child sexual imagery running on Facebook and Instagram. The Tech Transparency Project documented 332 paid ads that slipped past Meta’s ad review. If automated ad systems can’t block that, maybe those systems are not tools but excuses. New Mexico’s courts have already hit Meta hard — ordering hundreds of millions into a youth mental‑health fund — and their attorney general said the company chose profit over kids. Big Tech’s answer so far: we’ll fix it soon. How many reports and courtroom slaps before “soon” becomes action?
AI companions and children: more than a toy
Then there are the chatbots. Common Sense Media found many teens use AI companions regularly. The FTC is asking questions and Common Sense suggests no one under 18 should be using some of these services. These apps can give bad advice, build emotional dependence, or be used to groom and sextort. This isn’t sci‑fi anymore; it’s real kids forming real attachments to software designed by strangers with profit in mind. Parents must treat AI companions like the risky online services they are.
What parents and policymakers must demand
Practical steps are simple: check what apps and toys your kids use, avoid first‑generation AI toys without parental controls, and talk openly with children about online risks. But practical steps alone won’t fix the root problem. Lawmakers must pass clear rules: age verification, tougher platform liability for ads and paid content, and federal guidance that matches modern imaging tech. Parents and local leaders should pressure Congress, state attorneys general, and regulators like the FTC to act fast. Concerned Women for America and others are shouting the obvious — it’s time policymakers listened. If we value our children, we won’t let industry lobbying and courtroom delays decide their safety.
