Apple has begun removing AI-powered “nudify” apps from its App Store after San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu issued cease-and-desist letters to both Apple and Google, accusing the platforms of facilitating harmful non-consensual intimate imagery.
The letters targeted approximately 13 face-swapping and image-altering apps that use artificial intelligence to digitally remove clothing from photos, creating fake nude or explicit images without the subject’s consent. Chiu argued that the apps violate consumer-protection laws and enable the spread of deepfake pornography, often targeting women and minors.
In response, Apple in a statement reiterated its longstanding policy prohibiting apps that generate or promote explicit non-consensual content. “Nudification apps are against our App Review Guidelines and we have proactively rejected many of these apps and removed many others,” the company said. It confirmed the removal of three apps identified in the letter, the termination of their developers’ accounts, and ongoing outreach to four additional developers who must address violations or face removal.
This action follows earlier reports highlighting the persistence of such apps despite Apple’s rules. In 2024 and earlier in 2026, investigations revealed that “nudify” tools continued to appear or be advertised in the App Store, prompting criticism over enforcement gaps. Apple has since taken down batches of violating apps after external reports and user flags.
The San Francisco order gives Apple and Google 28 days to respond and fully address the issue, with potential civil penalties for non-compliance. Advocates have praised the move as a step toward curbing AI-enabled abuse, while noting that similar tools can still proliferate on the open web or through sideloaded software.
Apple’s latest enforcement underscores growing pressure on tech platforms to prevent their stores from becoming distribution channels for tools that weaponize AI against privacy and consent.
MacDailyNews Take: Users are encouraged to report suspected violating apps directly through the App Store via Apple’s “Report a Problem” page: https://reportaproblem.apple.com
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