AI-Fueled Cyberbullying: Teen’s Ordeal Sparks Outrage

At 14, Francesca Mani was called to the principal’s office at Westfield High School, New Jersey, where she discovered a photo of her had been altered into a nude image using artificial intelligence, as reported by CBS News.

Last October, rumors spread at Westfield High about boys possessing explicit images of female classmates. Mani learned she and several others were targeted.

According to a lawsuit filed by another victim, a boy uploaded Instagram photos to Clothoff, a popular AI-powered “nudify” site. The site, which received over 3 million visits last month, creates realistic fake nudes in seconds, as reported by CBS.

Clothoff claims to prohibit the processing of minors’ photos, but its mechanisms are unverified. Despite the site’s disclaimers, at least one AI nude of a student was reportedly shared on Snapchat, as reported by CBS.

Mani never saw the manipulated image of herself but was deeply affected by how the school handled the situation. Victims were publicly called to the office, while the boys involved were privately removed from class.

“I feel like that was a major violation of our privacy while, like, the bad actors were taken out of their classes privately,” Mani said as reported by CBS.

That same day, the principal emailed parents, confirming students had used AI to create explicit images, reports CBS. The email assured parents the images had been deleted and were not being circulated, but Mani’s mother, Dorota, remained skeptical.

“You can’t really wipe it out,” Dorota said to CBS, expressing concern about screenshots or downloads.

The school district declined to provide details about the incident or disciplinary actions but stated it updated its harassment policies to address AI misuse—a change the Manis had urged for months, as reported by CBS.

Yiota Souras, chief legal officer at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, stressed the lasting harm such images cause, even if they are fake. Victims often suffer mental distress, reputational damage, and a loss of trust, as noted by CBS.

CBS reports that over the past 20 months, nearly 30 similar cases involving AI nudes have surfaced in U.S. schools, with additional incidents reported globally.

In at least three cases, Snapchat was used to circulate the images. Parents have reported delays of up to eight months in getting such content removed from the platform, as reported by CBS.

Snapchat, in response to one parent’s criticism, claimed to have “efficient mechanisms” for handling these reports and stated it has a “zero-tolerance policy” for such content, reported CBS.

Federal law prohibits AI-generated child pornography if it depicts sexually explicit conduct, but Souras warns that some AI nudes may fall outside the legal definition, noted CBS.

Since the incident, Francesca and Dorota Mani have advocated for AI-related policies in schools and worked with Congress to address the issue, reported CBS.

A federal bill, the Take It Down Act, co-sponsored by Senators Ted Cruz and Amy Klobuchar, passed the Senate this month and awaits a House vote. The legislation proposes criminal penalties for sharing AI nudes and mandates social media platforms remove flagged content within 48 hours, says CBS.