San Francisco AG Demands Apple and Google Remove 13 Nudify Apps From Their Stores

San Francisco Attorney General David Chiu sent cease-and-desist letters to Apple and Google this week, demanding they remove 13 so-called nudification apps from their app stores, as first reported by Wired.

The apps use AI to transform ordinary photos of real people into explicit images — removing clothing, swapping faces onto nude bodies, and placing victims in sexualized positions. Chiu's office argued that hosting these apps violates California laws prohibiting services that create deepfake pornography. "These images are used to bully, humiliate, and threaten women and girls," Chiu told Wired, adding that victims have been suicidal.

According to Chiu's letters, Google was asked to remove five apps and Apple to remove eight. One app had surpassed a million downloads. His office estimated that both companies have likely earned millions of dollars in fees by failing to crack down on the tools. Google said it has since suspended the flagged apps and restricted related search terms like "nudify" on its store. Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

The crackdown comes as app stores face broader scrutiny over harmful AI-generated content. Researchers recently found that many face-swapping apps in app stores secretly support nudification, with 70 percent of tested apps capable of sexualizing images. The issue has intensified since xAI disclosed that its Grok chatbot generated child sexual abuse material and non-consensual intimate imagery, prompting a lawsuit against the user responsible. Apple privately threatened to remove Grok earlier this year but has not followed through.

Chiu signaled he expects both companies to tighten their screening systems across the board — and warned he would consider further legal action if they don't.