Apple tightens App Store rules against AI nudification and disguised apps

Apple already prohibited sexually explicit content on the App Store. The new rules make its treatment of AI-generated intimate imagery without consent more explicit, according to MacRumors.

The issue is not just what an app advertises. Apple is also targeting apps that appear legitimate during review but conceal harmful functions, 9to5Mac reported.

On October 16, Apple updated its App Review Guidelines with changes addressing harmful content and deceptive review practices, according to 9to5Mac.

The revised rules explicitly address so-called nudify apps, which use AI to generate intimate images of people without their consent, The Verge reported that day. The change clarifies how Apple's existing restrictions apply to these tools.

The update also places an active obligation on developers. They must proactively prevent and remove AI-generated nonconsensual intimate imagery, rather than rely solely on the existing ban on sexually explicit content, according to MacRumors.

On October 17, AppleInsider described the accompanying crackdown on bait-and-switch tactics used to pass app review. On October 19, TechCrunch reported that Apple would ban AI apps that do not moderate offensive content, including nudify tools masquerading as ordinary apps.

The guidelines have been updated. Their central requirements are clearer restrictions on nonconsensual intimate imagery, developer responsibility for preventing it, and scrutiny of hidden harmful features, according to Digital Trends.

The supplied coverage describes the policy change, not its enforcement results. It does not establish how many apps have been removed or whether the revised rules have reduced the availability of nudification tools.