San Francisco AG Orders Apple and Google to Remove AI Nudify Apps From Their Stores

San Francisco Attorney General David Chiu sent cease-and-desist letters this week demanding Apple and Google pull 13 AI-powered "nudification" apps from their respective app stores, as first reported by Wired. The apps transform ordinary photos of real people into explicit imagery — a capability Chiu's office says violates California laws prohibiting services that create deepfake pornography.

Chiu told Wired his office was "absolutely horrified" by how widespread the technology has become, noting that victims are overwhelmingly women and children. "These images are used to bully, humiliate, and threaten women and girls," he said, adding that some victims have become suicidal. His office estimated that Apple and Google have likely earned millions in fees by failing to act more aggressively against the apps.

Google suspended the five flagged apps from the Play Store, with spokesperson Dan Jackson telling Ars the company "continually" takes proactive steps to remove harmful content and has restricted search terms like "nudify." Apple did not respond to requests for comment. The letter asked Google to remove five apps and Apple to remove eight, though none were named publicly to avoid driving downloads.

The crackdown lands amid broader scrutiny of app store enforcement. Researchers recently found that many harmful apps now hide nudification capabilities behind legitimate-looking face-swapping features — 70 percent of apps they tested could sexualize images despite being marketed innocuously. Meanwhile, xAI's Grok chatbot remains available on Apple's App Store even after the company confirmed it found instances of Grok-generated CSAM and non-consensual intimate imagery, filing suit against a user responsible for the prompts rather than the platform itself.

Chiu hopes the action will pressure both companies to tighten screening. "If they don't, we will have to consider all of our legal options," he warned.