Apple takes down AI-based nude image generator apps from App Store

Apple has long been a strong advocate of user privacy. It has strict guidelines to protect the data stored in its devices and has also taken measures to curb sexual exploitations on its platform.

With the advent of generative Artificial Intelligence (gen AI) apps, a new threat has emerged. Bad actors are coming up with devious ways to create photorealistic synthetic multimedia content to hurt people's image on social media platforms.

404 Media detected three such gen AI-based iOS apps being advertised on social media platforms such as Instagram with direct links to Apple App Store. They showed the apps can illegally generate nude images of any person.

One of them offered ways to superimpose a victim's face onto a naked adult actor and the other two marketed their capability to undress a person.

The publication informed Apple about the illegal apps on the Apple App Store. The latter has taken down the offensive apps from its platform.

Apple's guideline explicitly warns app developers that their applications should not "offend people". If found guilty, they will be face sactions and even get banned from the platform without any notice.

"Apps should not include content that is offensive, insensitive, upsetting, intended to disgust, in exceptionally poor taste, or just plain creepy. Apps with user-generated content or services that end up being used primarily for pornographic content, Chatroulette-style experiences, objectification of real people (e.g. “hot-or-not” voting), making physical threats, or bullying do not belong on the App Store and may be removed without notice," reads Apple Review guidelines.

Lately, there has been an increased misuse of generative AI-based deepfake technology, particularly to malign high-profile persons in the field of entertainment and politics, just so that the victim loses popularity just before elections or a movie and is deprived of opportunities in the future.

Going by the number of deepfake videos, Apple, Google and Meta have their tasks cut out to make their platforms free from such devious applications and content.

Governments around the world including in India, have come up with new Information Technology laws to curb the circulation of such explicit content on social media platforms. Also, there are instructions to take down such things from the platform within two days after filing the complaint.

As per Rule 3(2)(b) of the Information Technology Rules, social media platforms must take down any mischievous and defamatory content within 36 hours (or earliest) after filing a complaint.

And, those who are responsible for creating such fake videos with impersonation technology (like the deepfake) by using a computer and related gadgets, are punishable with up to three years of imprisonment and pay a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh, under the Section 66D of the IT Act.

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