San Francisco orders Apple, Google to remove deepfake apps

San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu has formally ordered Apple and Google to remove dozens of “nudify” applications from their respective app stores, warning that both companies face civil penalties if they fail to comply within 28 days. These software programs utilize artificial intelligence to digitally alter photographs and undress the subjects without their consent.

The legal action centers directly on the payment processing fees the companies collect from downloads and in-app purchases. Chiu’s office stated that both Apple and Google have been on notice for nearly a year that they are processing financial transactions for illegal purchases. Despite these repeated warnings, the companies have continued to facilitate these payments.

California law explicitly criminalizes any activity that knowingly facilitates or recklessly aids the creation of non-consensual deepfake pornography. A separate 2025 state statute further opened the door for victims to file civil lawsuits against third-party facilitators of such material. The city’s letters argue that by continuing to host the software and process its transactions, the tech giants are violating these regulations.

The municipal warnings follow detailed reports published by the Tech Transparency Project in January and again in April. The advocacy group accused Apple and Google of intentionally steering users toward applications that generate non-consensual intimate images.

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

Chiu noted that the companies have likely collected millions of dollars in fees from hosting these services. While deepfake pornography historically targeted female celebrities, the proliferation of these nudify applications means anyone with a publicly available photo is now potentially vulnerable.

For European investors and regulators, this intervention signals a rapidly shifting liability landscape for global app store operators. Europe has already pioneered aggressive platform accountability through the Digital Services Act and the AI Act.

Authorities on both sides of the Atlantic are now increasingly targeting the financial infrastructure that enables abusive AI tools. Holding digital gatekeepers financially responsible for the applications they monetize threatens a core revenue stream for the mobile software economy. Neither company immediately responded to requests for comment.