San Francisco's city attorney has ordered Apple and Google to remove 13 AI "nudify" apps that generate nonconsensual nude images, a practice illegal in California. The cease-and-desist letters accuse the tech giants of profiting from apps that harm women and minors. Google has suspended the five apps cited on its store, while Apple has not commented. The apps are often disguised as benign "face-swapping" tools to evade moderation.
San Francisco cease-and-desist orders
- ▪The letters demand the removal of 13 apps (eight on Apple's App Store, five on Google's Play Store) that can generate nonconsensual nude images
- ▪The legal notices accuse Apple and Google of "aiding and abetting" the sale of sexualized AI deepfakes, which is prohibited under California law
- ▪On July 16, 2026, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu sent cease-and-desist letters to Apple and Google
App store moderation failures
- ▪A Google spokesperson said the company has deleted "hundreds" of apps with nudifying features and restricted related search terms like 'nudify'
- ▪Apple did not provide a comment on the matter ahead of publication
- ▪Google suspended the five Android apps cited in the letter, stating its Play Store "does not allow apps that contain sexual content."
Nudification technology proliferation
- ▪A May 2026 research paper found that 70% of 155 tested face-swapping apps could create nude images and lacked safety measures to prevent it
- ▪The targeted apps are often advertised as benign "face-swapping" tools, a "dual-use" capability that helps them evade content moderation
Harm to women
- ▪The technology is overwhelmingly used to create nonconsensual sexual images of women and girls
- ▪David Chiu stated the images are used to "bully, humiliate, and threaten," causing a "horrific impact" on victims' mental health and autonomy
Harm to minors
- ▪Some AI nudify apps found on the app stores have been rated as suitable for use by children
- ▪Previous reporting has uncovered incidents in at least 90 schools where deepfake sexual abuse images of minors were created
Platform revenue from harmful apps
- ▪David Chiu stated that Apple and Google have likely "made millions of dollars in fees" from apps that offer nudification via in-app payments
- ▪Research by the Tech Transparency Project estimated that similar apps were downloaded 480 million times and may have generated $120 million in combined revenue
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