To be concerned about a new fresh hell for female school pupils?

[Villamariawine]

I’ve name changed for this as I don’t want the assumption to be I am one of the parents. I’m not. But I am the mother of a 6th former DD.

From The Times today - it is behind a paywall so I’ve included some of the salient points. I’ve removed the poll because frankly I’d be aghast if anyone thinks I am being unreasonable.
Two private schools are at the centre of a criminal investigation into the alleged making and sharing of deepfake pornographic images. Police are investigating claims that the deepfakes were created at a boys’ school by someone manipulating images taken from the social media accounts of pupils at a girls’ school.
The schools are in the same area of the country. Detectives became involved seven weeks ago when staff at the girls’ school alerted police and social services to reports that deepfake images and videos were in circulation at the boys’ school. About a dozen girls are thought to have been victims.

The report goes on to say:

Both schools are spending tens of thousands of pounds on crisis management PR firms and London law firms to manage the fallout. It is understood police asked the schools not to undertake internal inquiries or disciplinary measures during their investigation.

And

Police declined to comment on claims that they had been unable to recover phones and computer equipment of potential value to the investigation.

And

A spokesman for the boys’ school said: “Were any allegation to be received, the school would always take all appropriate steps to ensure the matter was fully and thoroughly investigated, including through making reports to, and taking advice from, the relevant external agencies and authorities. The school will always fully co-operate with any police investigation or directions.”

I’m not interested in which schools these are (The Times has not named them) and for the sake of the girls, please don’t name them. I’d wager that the lack of progress into some sort of justice for the girls is why The Times knows about the situation.

My AIBU is that this apparently happened at the start of May. Exams will have taken place, pupils will have left, important choices will have had to be made and these poor girls have had to deal with this on top of everything and the perpetrators are seemingly facing no consequences almost two months on. The Police have moved very quickly on other matters, why not this one? It is a criminal offence to even make deepfake images of a child, let alone distribute them. If there is nothing amiss, why are PR firms and Law Firms involved? Why would the girls school need to hire them? Surely their first thought is for the welfare on their pupils who are involved through no fault of their own? These images could follow them around forever if they were created of the girls when they were over the age of 18. Was nothing learned by schools after ‘everyone’s invited?’ about trying to cover up bad behaviour?

I’m dismayed that girls and their parents are being subjected to this new fresh hell.

But this is exactly the point i am making. Universities ask for references not school disciplinary instances or indeed records. So off goes Johnny No-Consent-Necessary to University free to continue his ‘activities’ and the Universities collective consciences are clear because they don’t ask the specific question of the schools about Johnny’s record.

A bit like you cannot knowingly lie on a property exchange form, schools should be compelled to disclose to Universities any issues before the fox enters the hen house. If there were consequences to actions maybe not so many would feel emboldened to carry out these types of crimes. They are clearly not afraid of the Law at all.

This is why it is not simply a private school issue - any inaction by any school has potential repercussions on someone else’s child when they attend the same university as the perpetrator.

@Mushroomlasagne cross posted before you edited!

I agree. I listened to a lady on Womans Hour a few months ago saying there is a huge boom in online issues where men are encouraging toddlers to send nudes - truly shocking. She made the point that the software for deep fakes does not NEED to exist and should be legislated against. Edit to add that the toddler thing was that they can then deepfake any kid into any situation and use to bribe families. Really terrifying.

I don’t see how one could ask applicants about online behaviour except in the context of criminal convictions, sadly.

But I agree that schools, universities and workplaces should be required to have mechanisms for tracking and investigating complaints, and publicly reporting numbers and outcomes as you suggest

Yes I agree - like with the Tory who send his pic recently and then leaked all of the personal info on his colleagues - really, does he think people know what it looks like? That they really care? Not like BBC can publish it and no one wants to see it. I think we all need to grow up a step ahead and treat it like a Nigerian Prince scam; it's fake, not them, no more imaginative than those annoying dancing Elves Family Christmas cards that used to be popular.

I expect nothing else from a private school than to spend a fortune trying to hide the behaviour of their pupils. Unfortunately.

Maybe there needs to be a private flag system alongside applications where teachers can put a red flag on candidates they feel need internet history vetted by the Uni? A team of IT guys to go through profiles and check linked accounts for character, much as we all hope they do with politicians sadly not very evident in many cases

‘I don't know what the answer is, t’

the answer is to bring in specific legislation to deal with this, just as has happened with ‘revenge porn’ and child sex abuse imagery created by AI, to hold the men/ boys making it accountable and educate in schools about the harm this is doing.
Not to go - oh well girls can be just as bad. NOT the same thing.

‘Of course. Nothing printed in a national newspaper ever turned out to be inaccurate did it?’

Those expensive lawyers and PR firms the private schools have hired? THATs why you haven’t heard more about this…

‘I’m not sure their “privilege” is relevant? ‘

It is ENTIRELY relevant- if they were at my kids school this would have been out in the open weeks ago because the school
would have spent tens of thousands on PR and legal to keep it under wraps in an attempt to protect the school brand.

Expecting the police to complete such an investigation in two months is hopeful even if it is one without the misogyny of parts of the Metropolitan police. Part of your anger should be directed via the ballot box on 4 July.

Agree about a vetting process for prospective university students, though don't know how you could do that for overseas students.

In a way it can never stop; a harmless photo with your friends is something that can be manipulated into sexual exploitation. It is the intent behind it and the attitude; I wouldn’t want to work or have to work with someone capable of this, still less than not be managed by the authorities as a sex offender. The fact this is easily done now should not blind us on who is doing it. These people are not anyone you want to associate with.

a much better system is to have the candidate make a declaration ! The university can then rescind offers, results and money paid if that turns out to be a lie. Refusal to give said assurance of course speaks volumes. As does your school not giving s reference (seen that happen for much less bad things than this).

“Out in the open”? It’s been 8 weeks and being investigated by the police and made the national press. If it had been 8 months I’d take your point.

There needs to be a non prison option that hurts these men and is a deterrent. Removal of driving licence or as you say being put on a register that affects university entrance. That would give these little princes pause for thought.

Legislation for this was in the works I believe but it's fallen by the wayside due to the election. However, it's a big challenge due to the international nature of the issue, privacy laws across multiple jurisdictions and the unwieldy nature of AI growth. I'm afraid the horse has very much bolted to stop this sort of thing entirely.

Also worth considering that the porn industry is big bucks and so whatever way things get hindered/shut down, they will find another way in outside of the reaches of law enforcement. Increasing access to and monetisation of porn was the original purpose of a lot of online services - video on demand/streaming for sure, as well as payment processing.

So if can't be stopped entirely, it's a battle of attrition. Properly educated and resourced law enforcement with good cross border co-ordination, properly educated parents and schools, restrictions on access to devices and social media for kids are all key. All challenging I know.

Kids are not well known for exercising excellent judgment at all times so access to devices/social media should be very carefully managed - and both schools and parents can do a lot on this. Especially in the digital sphere which gives the illusion that no harm is done as it's "not real".

Getting people to understand that even if they think a social media profile is private and they've got it "locked down", it is never assured to be 100% private. Social media profiles are hacked all the time (super easy for bad actors to do this) and the profile they hack then has access to their friends' media. Once content is uploaded, it is simply no longer private and users have to accept that publishing their content comes with the risk of misuse. But sadly, a lot of people just don't care to understand that and actively dismiss those who do not find that risk acceptable - as you'll see when anyone posts about not allowing their child to be included in school photos, or the yearly "first day of school" photos get shared (literally turns my stomach when I see these, even if school name or house no are blurred - as that info is also easy to find).

Actually the fact you are a sex offender is never wiped from your criminal record; you will always have to declare it. This kind of behaviour ruins the life of an offender if caught. You can already have driving licence suspended, it’s just barely used on sentence.

Downing Street party photos anyone?

This is what I was thinking.

I also have 2 DDs in their 20s who are not dating because so many young men have a terrible attitude towards women.
Not helped by Andrew Tate et al (who has now been praised by Farage as an important voice for men.)
How have we got in this mess.

Reported this afternoon

www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage-andrew-tate-reform-uk-influencer-romania-misogynist-b1165902.html

My girls and all of their friends have totally lost interest in boys and relationships, now I am beginning to see why.

Same. Distinct lack of boyfriends here and mine and their pals are gorgeous. Just not interested - the boys push for “pictures” get sexually aggressive when told no and have horrible group chats about girls so the girls just retreat. It makes me so sad that the internet seems to have ruined some of these boys - how have we come to this?

At this rate the birthrate will be on the floor.

I think in some ways that will be a good thing.
I actually feel so much guilt for bringing my DC into this horrible mess of a world.