AI
No Safety Instructions for the Internet
Merrigan compared the internet to a pair of scissors. Parents tell kids not to run with scissors, but give no safety advice for the internet. The 13-year age limit on social media is not about content. It is about COPPA, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act from 1997. Companies avoid handling data from under-13 users because they cannot monetize it. Merrigan argued that blanket bans on social media are ineffective, as seen with TikTok variants appearing after a ban.
One Pedophile Targeted 3,500 Children
Andrew McCartney, 22, catfished approximately 3,500 victims over 4 years. Average age: 12, ranging from 3 to 17. He used a pre-prepared threat saved on his phone to blackmail children into sending intimate images. One victim, 9-year-old Simran Thomas, shot herself after he forced her to involve her sister. Her father later committed suicide. McCartney was convicted of manslaughter. Sextortion is growing; it led to at least 44 teen boy suicides in the US alone.
Snapchat as a Drug Marketplace
Dutch and Danish researchers found that searching slang words like “snow Copenhagen” on Snapchat returns local drug dealers. The app’s quick-add feature connects buyers to sellers. Offers include free first tastes and bulk discounts. Dealers also recruit drivers to deliver cocaine. Merrigan’s son showed him how the platform also leads to underage sex work offers.
AI Generates Fake Faces and Fake Violence
Merrigan showed an AI-generated 18-year-old named Yuna. All four faces in a guessing game were from thispersondoesnotexist.org. The Reviva app makes two photos kiss or hug. Deepfake video from Hugging Face (September 2025) created fake violence on a local desktop. He noted that LLMs are only getting better. The Star Wars kid case showed how one leaked video can destroy a teenager’s life.
Talk to Your Kids and Build a Safety Net
The simplest action: talk to children about online risks. Merrigan established a “time” signal with his son. When the son says “time”, Merrigan stops being angry and focuses on fixing the problem. He uses Apple Family Sharing with location tracking but accidentally left a payment block off, resulting in a 10,000 NOK Robux purchase. He recommends Snapchat Family Center, TikTok Family Pairing, and Discord monitoring.
Q&A
What is your take on no smartphones until 13? Merrigan supports phone-free schools but notes that one parent’s decision can force all kids to get an app, taking away others’ choice. ▶ Watch (54:50)
What can parents do to demonstrate responsible technology? Put phones away at dinner, limit work notifications after 7 PM, and model device-free time. ▶ Watch (57:37)
What about AI on cameras to block nudes? Bypasses exist (gummy bear fingerprint); instead, he tells his son not to send nudes to strangers, not to never send them. ▶ Watch (59:22)
Notable Quotes
That is 9 minutes. That’s the length of time it took McCartney to get blackmail one of his victims. Niall Merrigan · ▶ Watch (21:11)
The little girl went downstairs, took her retired veteran father’s gun and shot herself. Niall Merrigan · ▶ Watch (16:41)
I’m of the honest belief that no kid should die because they sent a nude photograph to somebody. Niall Merrigan · ▶ Watch (24:20)
You cannot have digital friends, people we don’t know. Niall Merrigan · ▶ Watch (44:01)
The core message of this talk is talk to your children. Niall Merrigan · ▶ Watch (51:53)
Key Takeaways
- Talk to your children about online risks before a crisis occurs.
- Use family sharing controls and establish a safety signal like “time”.
- Sextortion can escalate in minutes; victims should block, report, and ask for help.
About the Speaker(s)
Niall Merrigan is an Irish guy who managed to end up in Norway after finding out the country existed when he was in New Zealand. He works at Microsoft helping customers with their technology investments. He has very strong opinions on security, web tech, food and wine.