San Francisco Targets Nudify App Stores

The rapid proliferation of generative artificial intelligence has brought a dark side to the forefront, as digital tools capable of stripping clothing from subjects in photographs become widely accessible. San Francisco officials are now forcing a confrontation with the tech giants hosting these services, aiming to dismantle the infrastructure that supports the creation of non-consensual intimate imagery.

Legislative Pressure on Digital Marketplaces

The city’s initiative rests on a foundation of California statutes that explicitly criminalizes any activity that knowingly facilitates or aids in the production of deepfake pornography. Beyond criminal liability, state law introduced in 2025 empowers victims to seek civil recourse against third-party entities that profit from such content. Despite these clear legal frameworks, San Francisco authorities contend that Apple and Google have maintained host environments for these programs, effectively capitalizing on the exploitation of individuals through transaction fees.

Allegations of Systemic Profit and Negligence

According to correspondence from the office of San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, the technology firms have been aware of their role in processing payments for these illicit tools for nearly a year. Investigative efforts by the Tech Transparency Project, which released a report in both January and April, further substantiated these claims. The watchdog organization accused both platforms of actively steering users toward applications designed to transform standard portraits into sexually explicit deepfakes.

“Apple and Google are profiting off apps that exploit women and girls by generating nonconsensual intimate deepfakes,” San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said in an emailed statement to TechCrunch. “While the companies cut ties with some problematic apps, Apple and Google have a responsibility to be proactive and vigilant to prevent sexual abuse.”

— David Chiu, San Francisco City Attorney

Corporate Responses and Regulatory Deadlines

The city has provided a 28-day window for Apple and Google to address the presence of these apps before potentially facing civil litigation. Both companies have begun to issue responses regarding their platform moderation efforts:

• Apple reported it has removed 3 apps from its store and is currently engaged with 4 others regarding policy compliance.
• Google claimed that 5 specific apps highlighted in the official letter have already been suspended from the Play Store.
• Google further stated that it has previously suspended hundreds of violating applications and restricted search terms such as “nudify.”

While the focus has largely been a problem regarding the targeting of high-profile celebrities, the ease of access to these tools represents an escalating risk for any individual with an online presence. As San Francisco Chiu told Wired, the financial incentives for the platforms have been significant, with estimated gains in the millions of dollars from developer fees. For businesses and users alike, this signals a shift toward stricter platform liability, where the entities controlling the distribution of AI software are increasingly being held accountable for the specific harms their hosted applications enable.