Tech Platforms Promote AI Nudify Apps Despite Policies, Report Finds

A recent investigation by the Tech Transparency Project, released on Wednesday, reveals that both Apple and Google's app stores are promoting AI-driven nudify applications that generate nonconsensual deepfake nude images. Users are directed to these tools through search and advertising algorithms, with autocomplete suggestions and ads for terms such as "nudify" and "undress." The TTP discovered 18 nudify apps on Apple's App Store and 20 on Google Play, some featuring sexual imagery while others seem innocuous. Together, these apps have been downloaded 483 million times and have earned over $122 million. Alarmingly, 31 of these apps are rated appropriate for minors, despite rising concerns about sexual deepfake incidents in schools. Both companies have policies against apps that facilitate nonconsensual sexual imagery, yet these applications remain accessible and promoted. In response to the report, Apple removed 15 apps and Google removed seven. The findings come as Minnesota lawmakers contemplate a ban on AI nudification tools, and the UK Children's Commissioner has called for an immediate prohibition due to the potential for deepfake sexual abuse against children. Bloomberg News confirmed that searches on these platforms lead to software capable of altering images of celebrities and others to depict them nude or partially undressed.