A recent investigation by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP), affiliated with the watchdog group Campaign for Accountability, has revealed the presence of dozens of mobile apps that can generate partially or fully undressed images and videos from user-uploaded photos.
At least 55 such apps were identified on Google Play Store and 47 on Apple’s App Store. Collectively, these apps have been downloaded over 705 million times worldwide.
App analytics firm AppMagic estimates that the apps have generated around $117 million in revenue, indicating that developers are profiting financially from their distribution.
TTP said these apps were discovered on both platforms by searching keywords like “nudify” and “undress,” with some appearing prominently in search results. Gadgets 360 also tested a few apps using artificially created models and confirmed the report’s findings. To protect user privacy, the apps’ names were not disclosed.
The report said that most of these apps offer the feature of showing “naked” images for free, while some go further, potentially placing individuals’ likenesses in pornographic content.
TTP has shared the list of identified apps with both Google and Apple. Google did not immediately respond to Gadgets 360 but told CNBC that several of the apps identified in the report have already been removed for policy violations, with further investigations ongoing. Apple confirmed to CNBC that 28 of the flagged apps have been removed from the App Store.
