tech
San Francisco orders Apple, Google to remove nudify apps from app stores
Official estimates Google and Apple likely made millions in nudify app fees.
TL;DR
- San Francisco Attorney General David Chiu has sent cease-and-desist letters to Apple and Google.
- The letters demand the removal of 13 "nudification" apps that use AI to create explicit images from ordinary photos.
- These apps can remove clothing, alter features, sexualize positions, and swap faces onto naked bodies.
- Chiu states these apps violate California's laws against deepfake pornography and cause severe harm, including bullying, humiliation, and mental health issues, with some victims experiencing suicidal thoughts.
- Google has suspended five flagged apps for violating policies against harmful content.
- Apple has not commented, but has previously been urged to police nudification apps more aggressively.
- Researchers warn some harmful apps are evolving to evade detection by app stores.
- The article also mentions xAI's lawsuit regarding Grok-generated child sexual abuse materials and nonconsensual intimate imagery, raising questions about app store liability.
- Chiu hopes his actions will lead to tighter enforcement across app stores and prevent similar harmful apps from being available in the future.