App stores steered 'nudify' apps
A recent audit says App Store search suggestions and ads were directing users to ‘nudify’ apps that breach platform rules, with more than 100 such apps found in the January review. ( )
App Store search suggestions and in‑store ads steered users toward “nudify” apps, the Tech Transparency Project said in a new follow‑up to its January audit. (bloomberg.com) In a January review, TTP identified 102 “nudify” apps across the two major stores — 47 on Apple’s App Store and 55 on Google Play. (findarticles.com) TTP, using analytics firm AppMagic, estimated those titles have been downloaded about 705 million times and have generated roughly $117 million in lifetime revenue. (findarticles.com) The follow‑up published in April found that App Store search suggestions and paid placements often surfaced those same apps when investigators searched terms like “nudify” and “undress.” (bloomberg.com) After TTP shared its list, Apple told reporters it removed 28 identified apps and warned developers; Google said it suspended several titles and carried out additional removals. (findarticles.com) Both companies’ public guidelines ban apps that create non‑consensual sexualized images, yet the watchdog found many violative apps available in January and noted app stores collected commissions on in‑app purchases. (themeridiem.com) TTP investigators said developers used innocuous keywords, age ratings, paywalls and cloud‑side processing to hide nudify functionality from static store reviews. (findarticles.com) “Katie Paul, director of the Tech Transparency Project, called the tools ‘designed for abuse,’” and TTP shared its dataset with platforms as lawmakers and regulators press for further action. (aicerts.ai)
