January has delivered urgent developments in the fight to protect children online—from AI-generated sexual abuse and dangerous “nudify” apps to major legislative action and new tools empowering families to stay safe in an increasingly risky digital world.

Elon Musk's xAI faced backlash earlier this month when its Grok AI tool responded to user prompts and generated sexualized photos of women and children.

• In response to the public backlash, "X" said in a Jan. 14 posting that they "have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis, underwear and other revealing attire.”

• Deepfakes can depict real people, including women and minors, in sexually explicit ways without consent. According to research conducted by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, 41 seconds is the estimated rate at which Grok AI generated a new sexualized image of a child.

• EIE's Donna Rice Hughes addressed the surge in AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) in a CBN interview this week. Watch the full interview below:

• Watchdog group Tech Transparency Project (TPP) released a report saying Apple and Google's app stores are hosting dozens of "nudify" apps that can take people's photos and use AI to generate nude images of them. U.S. laws prohibit the creation and distribution of CSAM.

After being contacted by TTP and CNBC last week, an Apple spokesperson on Monday said that the company removed 28 apps identified by the group.

OpenAI rolled out a new set of parental safety tools for ChatGPT teen accounts (ages 13 to 18). The update started at the end of September 2025 and is now gradually available worldwide

• The parental controls allow parents (with a teen’s consent) to limit or block sensitive content, disable features like voice or image generation, set quiet hours, and receive limited safety alerts for serious self-harm risks. However, parents cannot view full conversations and settings require consent from both the parent and the teen.

Defiance Act Passes the Senate Which Would Allow

Victims of Deepfakes to Sue

Senate Victory! The Senate's passage of the DEFIANCE Act earlier in January marked an important step in addressing the very real harm caused by sexually explicit deepfakes, which are increasingly used to humiliate, harass, and exploit victims—most often women and children—without their consent.

• The bipartisan bill, sponsored in the Senate by Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) allows victims of non-consensual deepfake imagery to sue its creators and recover up to $250,000 in damages.

• These images can destroy reputations, cause lasting emotional trauma, and threaten personal safety. While the Senate has now acted, the legislation must also pass the House and be signed by the President before becoming law.

“Imagine losing control over your own likeness and identity. Imagine how powerless victims feel when they cannot remove illicit content, cannot prevent it from being reproduced repeatedly, and cannot prevent new images from being created. The consequences can be profound.

Victims may endure threats to their employment, education, or reputation, or suffer additional criminal activity such as extortion and stalking. Many experience depression, anxiety, and fear being in public. And in the worst cases, victims have been driven to suicide.”

Senator Dick Durbin, Senate Floor Remarks (1-13-2026)

• The DEFIANCE Act was introduced in the House last May by Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Laurel Lee (R-FL). Ocasio-Cortez, who has previously shared her experiences of being a target of deepfake abuse, said it would “provide victims with the federal protections they deserve.” EIE continues to support the passage of this Act all the way to the President's desk!

Media Interviews

• American Family News: (January 8, 2026) Amid 'skyrocketing' child exploitation, advocates want changes now

•  WVNS-TV (January 23, 2026) Sunset 230 Act and Kids Online Safety Act and WV young man who took his life due to social media/sextortion

• Yahoo News: (January 23, 2026): ‘Enough is Enough’ combats against sextortion crimes

Commentary

• The Washington Times: Is Sex Trafficking’s Profitability Stymieing Child Protection Efforts? (January 28, 2026)

Press Statements

• EIE Urges States To Enact Ai Chatbot Legislation To Protect Kids Online (January 21, 2026)
  
• EIE Says Congress Must Protect Kids Online in 2026 (January 5, 2026)

Your willingness to engage with Enough Is Enough strengthens our efforts to protect children and families from all forms of online child sexual exploitation, including the harms resulting from artificial intelligence. Consider supporting our work today and help Fund the Fight to stop exploitation at its source and keep children safe online!

Share our resources today!

We Can't Keep Children & Families Safe Online Without You!

Enough Is Enough® is a national non-partisan, non-profit organization who has led the fight to make the Internet safer for children and families since 1994. EIE's efforts are focused on combating internet p*rnography, child sexual abuse material, sexual predation, sex trafficking and cyberbullying by incorporating a four-pronged prevention strategy with shared responsibilities between the public, corporate America, government and faith community.

STAY CONNECTED