Apple and Google Host 'Nudify' Apps That Violate Their Own Policies, Report Finds
Apple Inc. and Google have continued to offer mobile apps that let users make nonconsensual sexualized images of people despite their policies prohibiting such content, according to a report published Wednesday by the Tech Transparency Project.
Apple and Google are allowing so-called 'nudify' apps to remain available in their respective app stores despite policies explicitly banning tools that generate nonconsensual sexualized imagery, according to a new report released Wednesday by the Tech Transparency Project.
The watchdog organization found that both the App Store and Google Play host applications capable of digitally stripping clothing from images of real people without their consent, a practice widely condemned by lawmakers, advocates, and digital safety experts.
The Tech Transparency Project identified multiple offending apps that had evaded enforcement, raising serious questions about how effectively Apple and Google police their own platforms. Critics say the companies' moderation efforts are inconsistent and fall short of their stated commitments to user safety.
Nonconsensual intimate imagery, sometimes referred to as 'deepfake porn,' has become a growing crisis. Victims — who are overwhelmingly women — report severe psychological harm, reputational damage, and in some cases professional and personal devastation following the creation and spread of such images.
Both Apple and Google have policies that prohibit apps enabling the creation of sexualized content without consent. However, the report suggests that enforcement mechanisms are failing, allowing developers to circumvent platform rules through vague app descriptions or gradual feature rollouts after approval.
The findings come amid increasing legislative pressure in the United States and abroad. Several states have passed laws targeting nonconsensual deepfake imagery, and federal lawmakers have introduced legislation to address the issue at a national level.
Apple and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report's findings. Advocacy groups are calling on both companies to conduct immediate audits of their app stores and implement more rigorous screening processes to prevent such tools from reaching consumers.