US teens can access ‘nudify’ apps despite Apple and Google’s parental controls, report finds

Apple has strengthened its developer guidelines to prohibit apps that utilize AI for creating offensive content and those that disguise themselves as regular apps to bypass the App Store review process. The guidelines now explicitly address AI and user-generated content, emphasizing the need for developers to implement sufficient measures to moderate objectionable or offensive material.

Apps that host user-generated content must filter inappropriate content, provide a means for users to report offensive material, and enable users to block abusive accounts. Furthermore, apps containing hidden or undocumented features are banned from the App Store, including those that initially present benign capabilities only to reveal harmful functionalities, such as "nudification," after approval—a practice known as bait-and-switch.

Apple stated that it will remove apps that introduce new features after the version submitted for App Store review. Additionally, the company has updated its legal section to explicitly ban apps promoting human trafficking and child exploitation. Apple's review process had previously blocked over 150,000 apps from reaching users and removed 193,000 developer accounts due to fraud and abuse in the previous year.

In July, San Francisco ordered Apple and Google to remove nudification apps from their app stores, citing concerns over profiting from such content through store fees. A report by the Tech Transparency Project in April revealed that both tech giants' stores housed multiple nudify apps, some of which were deemed suitable for minors.