New App Store Rules Target AI Deepfakes and Nudify Apps

Apple has updated its App Store moderation rules to target AI-generated nonconsensual intimate imagery, including deepfakes. Previously, sexually explicit content was banned, but now app developers must prevent and remove AI-generated deepfakes proactively. Apps with violating content could be removed from the App Store if developers fail to address the issue.

The 1.2 rule specifically targets AI content creation apps, possibly including apps like Grok, which has been accused of creating nude and sexualized deepfakes. Earlier this year, Apple removed Grok from the App Store if it continued to permit nude deepfakes, following xAI's implementation of safeguards. Apple has also added guideline 2.5.19, clarifying that developers adding features not present in their app's submitted version for review risk removal from the App Store and the Apple Developer Program.

This new rule is linked to the prohibition of "nudification" apps, which create sexually explicit images of real individuals without their consent. These apps often conceal their true purpose during review and only reveal harmful capabilities after approval, a tactic known as bait-and-switch. Apple also extended its ban on apps facilitating human trafficking or child exploitation to apps distributed through alternative app stores.