AI-powered nudify apps are still slipping through major app stores, and that creates a serious moderation problem that reaches beyond adult users. Some of these apps are still being surfaced with an “E” for Everyone label, which means they can, in theory, be downloaded by people of any age, including children.
The concern is not only that the apps exist, but that they remain easy to find and install in places that many users treat as trusted. A report cited by Android Police through Engadget, and attributed to the Tech Transparency Project (TTP), says the issue has not changed much, even though the apps in question can turn ordinary photos into fake nude images.
What these apps actually do
At a technical level, nudify apps work like generative AI image editors. They can remove parts of a photo and then add new details designed to look believable.
That function makes them easy to misuse. The end result can be a sexualized image made from someone else’s photo, even when the original image had no sexual content at all. That is what makes the category especially risky in the context of non-consensual deepfake abuse.
Age labels are part of the problem
TTP says 31 of these apps were not adequately reviewed and still carried an “E” rating for everyone. That label matters because it can improve search visibility and make the apps easier for younger users to access.
The issue goes beyond whether the apps are present in the store. It also raises questions about how app-store classification systems control reach, since age ratings often act as the first gate between an app and the public. If that gate is weak, harmful tools can spread more widely than intended.
The scale described in the report is also notable. The apps examined are said to have generated around $122 million and been downloaded nearly 500 million times.
Store responses have started, but the problem remains
Google said many of the apps named in the report have already been removed from the Play Store. Apple also removed several similar apps, although it did not initially offer a detailed public explanation.
In an update reported by Android Police, Apple later said nudification apps violate App Store guidelines. The company added that many such apps have been removed, including some that had not yet been published.
Apple also said it has blocked many of the search terms listed in the TTP report. The company said it can block more related terms as well, while using AIML to improve user safety.
On the advertising side, Apple said its policy does not allow ads to be shown to children under 13. It also does not allow ad targeting to users aged 13 to 17.
Why the concern extends beyond store policy
The problem is bigger than policy enforcement alone. Nudify tools intensify the risk of sexual deepfakes that can be used to humiliate, intimidate, or exploit victims.
That risk becomes more serious when the distribution channel is a mainstream app store with broad public access. In that setting, teenagers and children are caught in the exposure zone both as potential users and as possible targets of abuse.
Android Police described the potential harm as very high. The concern is reinforced by the reference report’s note that the UK government has already begun efforts to ban apps of this kind.
Moderation gaps are still open
Removing an app after it is discovered does not fully solve the issue. As long as age ratings, search controls, and distribution checks can be bypassed, similar apps may return under new names or packaging.
The large download numbers and revenue cited in the report suggest that there is a real market for these tools. That is why pressure on Google Play Store and other platforms is likely to keep growing, especially around AI photo-editing apps that can generate non-consensual sexual content.
The case shows that the central question is no longer only whether nudify apps should be removed. The harder issue is how platforms can detect them earlier, rate them correctly, and restrict their spread before children are exposed to them.
Source: www.androidpolice.com
