THE CRUNCH

Apple has tightened its App Store guidelines to ban apps that use AI to create offensive content, including so-called nudify apps that pose as ordinary software to get through review. Under the updated rules, apps that misrepresent their purpose during the review process and only reveal harmful capabilities, such as nudification, after approval are explicitly prohibited. Apple says it will remove apps that add features not present in the version submitted for review.

The revised language also sets firmer expectations for apps hosting user-generated content: developers must filter objectionable material, give users a way to report offensive content and let them block abusive accounts. Apple's legal section now reinforces that it will bar apps promoting human trafficking and the exploitation of children.

The change follows pressure over nudify apps. In July, San Francisco ordered Apple and Google to remove nudification apps from their stores; City Attorney David Chiu accused the companies of profiting from them through store fees. In April, a Tech Transparency Project report found both companies' stores hosted multiple nudify apps, some rated as suitable for minors.

Apple said last year that its review process blocked over 150,000 apps from reaching users and removed 193,000 developer accounts over fraud and abuse.