When Elliston Berry was just 14, her life changed overnight. A classmate had created and shared a deepfake nude image of her. Confused and unsure where to turn, she struggled to remove the photos from social media. The experience showed her how little support existed for teens facing online harassment. Now, at 16, Berry is determined to make sure no other young person goes through the same ordeal.
Online Course Teaches Teens, Parents, and Educators
To address this growing problem, Berry helped launch a free online training course in partnership with Adaptive Security and Pathos Consulting Group. The program teaches students, teachers, and parents to recognize AI-generated deepfakes, understand sextortion and sexual abuse, and take action to remove harmful content.
As AI tools become more advanced, creating explicit deepfakes has become alarmingly easy. Recently, Elon Musk’s xAI faced backlash after its chatbot Grok was repeatedly used to generate sexualized images of women and minors. In response, the platform restricted its image-generation features, highlighting the urgent need for education and awareness.
Teens at Risk: The Scale of the Problem
Statistics underline the urgency. Research by the nonprofit Thorn shows that one in eight U.S. teens personally knows someone targeted by nude deepfakes. Even with the Take It Down Act, which Berry advocated for, victims often struggle to remove images quickly. Berry shared that it took nine months to remove her own images. Under the new law, platforms must act within 48 hours once notified.
Preparing Educators to Protect Students
Berry stresses that the course also focuses on educators. “Schools often don’t know how to respond,” she told CNN. “Even the leadership at my school was confused, so they couldn’t provide protection or comfort. This curriculum equips teachers to help students navigate harassment safely.”
The 17-minute program includes resources like RAINN and guidance on legal protections under the Take It Down Act, giving schools and families practical tools to act quickly.
Raising Awareness and Preventing Harm
Brian Long, CEO of Adaptive Security, points out that educating potential perpetrators is just as important. “They need to understand this is illegal, harmful, and dangerous. This isn’t a prank—it can cause serious trauma.”
Berry hopes the course will spark conversations about online safety and increase awareness. “Several girls I know have faced similar situations just in the past month,” she said. “It’s frightening, especially when no one understands what’s happening. Education is the key to protecting young people and preventing harm.
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