San Francisco has directed Apple and Google to remove dozens of "nudify" apps from their app stores, citing concerns over software that can digitally alter photos to create non-consensual intimate images.
The city says California law already prohibits activities that knowingly help produce this kind of deepfake content, and a 2025 measure also opened the door for civil action against third-party facilitators. Despite that framework, officials argue the apps remained available and continued generating revenue through the platforms.
City Attorney David Chiu said the companies have a responsibility to act more proactively, especially when tools are used to exploit people through AI-generated sexualized imagery. His office also stated that both firms had been warned repeatedly about payment processing and app-store hosting tied to these services.
According to the city's letters, the companies were alerted earlier this year by the Tech Transparency Project, which reported that dozens of apps were selling non-consensual intimate deepfakes and that the platforms were helping funnel users toward them.
The letters give Apple and Google 28 days to respond and warn that civil penalties could follow if the law is not met. The case highlights how app-store governance is becoming a central part of digital safety in the age of generative AI. In the future, stronger platform oversight may help set clearer standards for responsible innovation.
