San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu sent cease-and-desist letters to Apple and Google on July 17, demanding the removal of 13 AI-powered "nudify" applications from their app stores. The apps use artificial intelligence to generate nonconsensual nude images of real people by digitally "undressing" photos.
Holding Gatekeepers Accountable
The legal action targets the distribution platforms rather than just the app developers — a strategic shift that recognizes Apple and Google's unique power to instantly remove harmful software. The city estimates the companies made millions of dollars in fees from the apps.
"Apple and Google are profiting from apps that strip away someone's dignity without their consent," Chiu said in a statement. "These are not victimless crimes. Every download of these apps represents a potential violation of someone's privacy and bodily autonomy."
A Growing Crisis
The action lands in the same week that xAI was sued over Grok-generated child exploitation material, underscoring that AI-generated abuse imagery has become a defining safety crisis for the entire tech industry.
AI image generation has produced stunning creative breakthroughs throughout 2026, but the same technology — with minimal guardrails — enables appalling abuse. Nudify apps have proliferated despite platform policies against them, with app store enforcement proving inconsistent.
Platform Responsibility
By targeting Apple and Google directly, San Francisco is testing whether platform-level enforcement can succeed where app-level policing has failed. Legal experts say the case could set precedents for how cities regulate AI-generated harm when federal legislation remains stalled.
Both Apple and Google have policies prohibiting nonconsensual intimate imagery but have faced criticism for uneven enforcement. The cease-and-desist letters give both companies a short window to respond before potential legal action.
