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San Francisco orders Apple, Google to pull AI 'nudify' apps from app stores over deepfake concerns

Adgully • July 18, 2026

San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu has sent formal cease-and-desist letters to Apple and Google, demanding the removal of 13 AI-powered "nudify" applications from the App Store and Google Play. The apps, several of which are marketed as face-swapping or photo-editing tools, allow users to generate non-consensual explicit deepfake images of real people.

According to the letters, the demand covers eight apps hosted on Apple's App Store and five on Google Play. Chiu's office contends that both companies have been aware of the issue for nearly a year, including through prior reports flagging the apps' presence on their platforms, but have continued to process in-app payments linked to them.

The action invokes California law, which criminalises knowingly facilitating or recklessly aiding the creation of non-consensual intimate deepfakes. A 2025 state law further allows civil claims against companies that continue supporting such content after being notified. Per the letters, Apple and Google have been given 28 days to respond or risk facing civil penalties.

In response, Apple said such apps violate its App Review Guidelines and confirmed it has removed some of the flagged apps while reviewing the rest, while Google said it has already suspended all the apps named on its platform and continues to remove others that breach its content policies.

The move follows Chiu's office's earlier lawsuit against 16 websites offering similar nudification services and comes amid wider regulatory scrutiny of AI image-generation tools in the US.

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San Francisco Demands Apple and Google Remove 'Nudify' Apps Over Deepfake Concerns San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu has ordered Apple and Google to remove 13 AI-powered 'nudify' apps from their app stores, which generate non-consensual deepfake images. The cease-and-desist letters highlight the companies' potential complicity in facilitating the spread of such harmful content, as they have reportedly profited from in-app purchases linked to these apps. The investigation by the Tech Transparency Project revealed that both app stores actively promoted these apps, which have been downloaded 483 million times and generated over $122 million in revenue. Chiu's office argues that the companies have ignored prior warnings and continue to host apps that violate California law against non-consensual intimate imagery. Both companies have been given 28 days to respond to the demands or face civil penalties. Apple has removed some flagged apps, while Google claims to have suspended the identified applications. The issue raises significant concerns about the safety of minors, as many of these apps are rated suitable for children. 4 sources 69

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San Francisco orders Apple, Google to pull AI 'nudify' apps from app stores over deepfake concerns

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