Deepfake case study · Video

Children (YouTube Kids app users) deepfake (May 2025)

Incident date: May 2025
Target: Children (YouTube Kids app users)

Updated May 6, 2026 · 1 min read

AI-generated cartoon videos with gore and fetish content, reminiscent of Elsagate, are appearing on YouTube and the YouTube Kids app. These videos often depict children's characters in perilous, sexual, and abusive situations, or kittens being abused. They are being created rapidly and in large volumes using generative AI to circumvent YouTube's algorithms and monetize the content. YouTube has terminated some channels and removed videos, but new ones quickly reappear.

Sources

WIRED
WBTV
The Guardian