Apple and Google App stores still host dozens of AI nudify apps: Report

Apple and Google’s app stores continue to host dozens of so-called nudify applications that use artificial intelligence to generate deepfake nude images of real people, according to a report by watchdog group Tech Transparency Project. The findings have triggered widespread concern online, raising questions about how such apps remain available despite both companies’ stated app store policies.

In its investigation, the Tech Transparency Project said it identified 55 nudify apps on the Google Play Store and 47 on the Apple App Store. The report also noted that both platforms continue to provide access to xAI’s chatbot Grok, which is widely viewed as one of the most prominent tools used to create non-consensual deepfake images.

The watchdog said it searched both app stores using terms such as nudify and undress and tested several applications using AI-generated images. The testing showed that many of the apps were capable of digitally removing clothing or superimposing faces onto nude bodies.

The report stated that the scale of the issue is particularly concerning, noting that the identified apps have collectively been downloaded more than 700 million times and have generated over $117 million in revenue. Apple and Google earn a percentage of this revenue through their app store commissions.

The investigation further found that many of the apps highlighted in the report were rated as suitable for teenagers and children. One app, DreamFace, was listed as appropriate for users aged 13 and above on the Google Play Store and for children as young as nine on the Apple App Store.

Both companies have responded following the publication of the report. Apple said it had removed 24 apps from its store, according to a report by CNBC, a figure that remains well below the 47 apps identified by Tech Transparency Project researchers. Google, through a spokesperson, said it had suspended several apps named in the report for violating Play Store policies, but did not disclose how many had been taken down.

The report follows earlier concerns around Elon Musk-owned xAI’s Grok, which was recently found to be generating sexualised images of women and children. According to reports, the chatbot produced around three million sexualised images and approximately 22,000 images involving children over an 11-day period. X’s safety account stated that users who prompt Grok to create illegal content would face the same consequences as those who upload illegal material.

What are 'Nudification' apps?

Nudification apps and websites use generative artificial intelligence to create realistic deepfake nude images of real individuals by digitally removing clothing or manipulating photographs. These tools are often trained on large datasets of images and disproportionately target women and children. Experts have warned that such content carries serious mental health implications, particularly for women and girls, who account for the vast majority of sexually explicit deepfakes circulating online.