Apple and Google have been ordered by the city of San Francisco to remove dozens of so-called “nudify” apps from their app stores. The software is described as tools that can digitally change images to make people appear unclothed, raising legal and safety concerns.
According to the report, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu sent letters to both companies arguing they have long known they were hosting apps that violate state law. The action puts pressure on the two tech platforms to review how such apps are distributed through their mobile marketplaces.
The dispute centers on whether Apple and Google should continue allowing these image-altering apps to remain available for download. Because the apps are designed to manipulate photos in a way that removes clothing digitally, officials are treating them as more than a routine content moderation issue.
The move adds to broader scrutiny of app store oversight and the responsibility major platforms have for software they carry. It also highlights growing concern about tools that use digital editing to create deceptive or abusive images of real people.
