Nudification apps let users to misuse AI and create deepfake images by digitally undressing people using their photos or videos. This has led to the creation of non-consensual sexual deepfakes and nude images, which is a crime. These apps are hosted on various regulated and unregulated platforms.

Apple and Google — two of the largest application stores — have come under scrutiny in the city of San Francisco over multiple ‘nudification’ apps hosted on their respective app stores, per TechCrunch.

The two companies were sent multiple complaint letters about the presence of such apps in their app marketplaces, but they did not take action against them at the earliest. However, Apple and Google reiterated their stance on policy violating-apps and confirmed they had later taken action against the apps, per TechCrunch.

California takes a strict view of sexual deepfakes and the use of Generative AI to create criminal content.

Regulators have been monitoring the spread of ‘nudification’ apps after Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok allowed social media users world over to create non-consensual sexual deepfakes of others and spread them online earlier this year.

Five anonymous young women and girls have sued xAI and Stability AI, alleging that their photos were used to create child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The individuals shared their distress, and some feared that AI deepfakes of them shared online could lead to offline stalking by sex predators.