Peek-a-boo, Big Tech sees you: Expert warns just 20 cloud images can make an AI deepfake video of your child

Parents love capturing their kids' big moments, from first steps to birthday candles. 

But a new study out of the U.K. shows many of those treasured images may be scanned, analyzed and turned into data by cloud storage services, and nearly half of parents don't even realize it.

"Parents are unwittingly opening their children up to possible exploitation by criminals who want to use their data for their own purposes," Maple told the Edinburgh Evening News. 

He added that even mundane photos, like a child at school or in the backyard, can reveal names and locations. Fifty-three percent of parents surveyed had no idea this was possible.

Over half of parents, 56%, have automatic photo uploads enabled, meaning their phones constantly send new images to the cloud without ever having to tap "upload."

Even without deepfakes, data collection is extensive. Only 43% of parents knew cloud services collect metadata like time, date and location, and just 36% surveyed were aware that these companies analyze the contents of photos too.

Concern is catching up to convenience. Nearly three in four parents (72%) surveyed said photo privacy is important, and 69% acknowledged the risks of digital footprints left by storing family photos online.