【Survey Results】Over Half Aware of 'Sexual Deepfakes', Victim Awareness Also Increasing. Measures Against Child Human Rights Violations by Generative AI Require Legal Regulations, Industry Regulations, and Improved AI Literacy for Children Themselves.

Child Fund Japan (Suginami-ku, Tokyo; Secretary-General: Katsuhiko Takeda) conducted a national awareness survey on "Generative AI and Child Human Rights Violations" targeting men and women aged 15-79 across Japan in 2026. The survey results revealed an increase in people aware of sexual deepfakes, and a growing demand for legal and industry regulations concerning online child rights violations, as well as the acquisition of self-defense skills such as AI literacy. ## **Protecting Children's Rights from Generative AI and Deepfakes! Advocacy Activities from a Child and Youth Perspective.** In recent years, with the rapid evolution and widespread adoption of generative AI, vast numbers of images can be instantly created and disseminated. This has led to a proliferation of issues such as Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and sexual deepfakes involving children, necessitating legal frameworks and increased societal awareness. Child Fund Japan has previously undertaken initiatives to protect children from sexual exploitation, including surveys on grooming targeting young people and creating animated videos to warn children and youth about grooming. Furthermore, in April 2024, they held a symposium titled "The Threat of Generative AI to Children's Rights," and in December, an online seminar to learn about pioneering international efforts. They have also launched a working group of experts to propose new legislation to regulate CSAM created by generative AI. As part of these efforts, Child Fund Japan conducted a national awareness survey on the potential for generative AI to violate children's human rights and corresponding countermeasures. **Survey Overview** Survey Period: January 25 (Sunday) – February 7 (Saturday), 2026 Target Audience: Men and women aged 15-79 nationwide Number of Responses: 1,200 people Survey Method: Individual in-person placement survey by interviewers (omnibus method) Survey Institution: Japan Research Center Co., Ltd. The main points revealed by the survey are as follows: **■Summary of Survey Results Analysis** ① **Half of the total population is aware of sexual deepfakes**, but the awareness rate is lower among women, especially those aged 15-19. The channels for recognizing sexual deepfakes are clearly divided: young people primarily through SNS/internet, and older people through mass media. ② The percentage of respondents who reported knowing a minor who had been a victim of CSAM created by generative AI increased from 0.3% in the previous survey to 0.7% this time, **suggesting a potential spread of CSAM victimization and increased awareness of the problem.** ③ For prevention measures against minors as perpetrators, strengthening school education is highly ranked, followed by improving social awareness. Among women, a higher percentage believes that measures at home, such as creating a supportive environment and parental control, are necessary. ④ Regarding CSAM issues, most people expect regulations from the government and corporations. On the other hand, **the importance of improving children's own AI literacy increased from 29.3% in the previous survey to 34.0% this time**, showing the highest growth among all countermeasures. Specifically, compared to the previous survey, AI literacy among men in their 30s and women in their 30s-40s showed significant growth. Keywords: Health, IT, Art, Education, AI Agent, Child Rearing, Sustainability, Sustainable, Well-being