Hundreds of AI apps were part of a network hiding sexually abusive deepfake tools

Apple has removed 19 apps that concealed sexually abusive AI deepfake tools behind ordinary features after an investigation uncovered a network designed to evade App Store review.

A November 2 investigation identified more than 400 connected apps and web domains that appeared to offer harmless AI services, including pet portraits, language lessons, and fitness coaching. Some could instead load tools for generating sexually explicit images and videos using photographs of real people.

The findings build on earlier research showing that apps capable of creating nonconsensual sexual imagery were reaching the App Store despite Apple's restrictions. The newly uncovered network went further by using remote servers to control which features appeared to individual users.

How the apps concealed their true purpose

According to the WIRED investigation , researchers discovered that apps in the network contacted remote servers after installation. They transmitted information including the user's language, referral source, and a unique identifier.

One example was Viefur, an AI pet portrait generator that appeared to transform animal photographs into humanlike characters. Behind that harmless interface, researchers found access to tools capable of placing people into sexually explicit and violent scenarios.

Researchers also uncovered a JavaScript bundle containing references to hundreds of connected apps and domains, along with encryption keys and advertising trackers. The shared infrastructure indicated a coordinated operation rather than a collection of unrelated developers.

In September 2026, researchers identified 27 related apps on Google Play that had collectively accumulated more than 350,000 downloads. Many were rated suitable for all age groups, showing that the network extended beyond Apple's ecosystem.

Investigators also identified technical connections to Chinese-language developers and a Hong Kong-registered company called KeLing Technology Limited. The links included hosting infrastructure, code, and information, although the evidence doesn't conclusively establish who controlled the entire network.

Apple says developers changed apps after approval

Apple removed 19 apps, including Viefur, after reporters contacted the company and shared details of the network. Spokesperson Adam Dema said the apps complied with App Store rules during their initial reviews. According to Apple's account, developers subsequently changed the websites supplying their content, replacing approved material with pornography.

The explanation highlights a limitation of reviewing apps before publication. Developers can potentially change content delivered from external servers without submitting a new app version for approval, allowing prohibited features to appear after an app has passed review.

Apple also said it had suspended tens of thousands of apps over the year for similar bait-and-switch tactics. The suspensions extended beyond the identified network.

On October 16, Apple updated its guidelines to strengthen existing restrictions against nonconsensual intimate imagery and apps that conceal their functionality during review.

Guideline 1.2 now explicitly addresses AI-generated nonconsensual intimate imagery, requiring developers to prevent or remove such content. Guideline 2.5.19 clarifies Apple's longstanding prohibition against hidden, dormant, or undocumented features, including functionality activated after approval.

The changes strengthen Apple's existing policies, but they can't stop developers from changing content hosted on external servers. The company still faces the challenge of detecting those changes after apps have been approved.