The South Lake Union Google Headquarter entrance at sunset in Seattle, Washington. (400tmax / Getty Images)
By Samuel Short April 26, 2026 at 7:30am
Tech companies Apple and Google were found to have been leading users — specifically children — to apps that could effectively pornify images through artificial intelligence.
Last Wednesday, 9to5Mac reported the findings from January published by the Tech Transparency Project, which concluded both the Apple App Store and Google Play “are helping users to find apps that create deepfake nude images of women.”
The stores were even found promoting these apps and autocompleting search results for them.
About 40 percent of the top 10 apps appearing in searches for “nudify,” “undress,” and “deepnude” could “render women nude or scantily clad.”
These are apps where users can take two different images — one normal and one sexually explicit — and generate an image where components of both are used, sexualizing the person from the normal one.
9to5Mac reached out to the developer for one of these apps, and were told they “had no idea it was capable of producing such extreme content.”
On Thursday, Apple responded to the outlet, saying the apps were not allowed on their store given their review guidelines prohibit sexual content.
The company said it has removed 15 apps, with others receiving notice they will be removed if they continue to be in violation.
In January, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom went after social media platform X with a similar allegation.
“xAI’s decision to create and host a breeding ground for predators to spread nonconsensual sexually explicit AI deepfakes, including images that digitally undress children, is vile,” he said.
“I am calling on the Attorney General to immediately investigate the company and hold xAI accountable.”
xAI’s decision to create and host a breeding ground for predators to spread nonconsensual sexually explicit AI deepfakes, including images that digitally undress children, is vile.
I am calling on the Attorney General to immediately investigate the company and hold xAI…
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) January 14, 2026
Of course, X is owned by billionaire businessman Elon Musk, who has distanced himself from Newsom’s Democratic Party in recent years while purchasing the company and refusing to allow it to be an echo chamber for left-wing ideologues.
Why isn’t Newsom hammering Apple and Google in the same way?
Apple is based in Cupertino, California, and Google in Mountain View.
If he’s outraged at X, he should really be disgusted now.
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Sam Short is an Assistant Professor of History with Motlow State Community College in Smyrna, Tennessee. He holds a BA in History from Middle Tennessee State University and an MA in History from University College London. The views expressed in his articles are his own and do not reflect the views or opinions of Motlow State Community College.
