A digital advocacy group has released findings showing that artificial intelligence-powered applications capable of generating nonconsensual sexually explicit imagery remain readily accessible to minors through major app distribution platforms, despite efforts by both companies and regulators to restrict their availability.
The Tech Transparency Project conducted research in which it created test accounts on Apple and Google platforms identified as belonging to 13-year-olds. Researchers were able to locate and download 135 applications featuring image-editing or face-swapping capabilities that could be used to create nude or sexually suggestive imagery. Many of these applications were misclassified as age-appropriate for minors, and neither platform consistently required parental authorization before downloading them, even when parental controls were supposedly activated.
The investigation was prompted by incidents in high schools across the country where students used such applications to create explicit AI-generated images of classmates without consent. In one Pennsylvania school community, a student used an app called Movely to generate sexual videos featuring a student and five of her classmates. The affected families discovered that the apps often included readily accessible features and templates designed to create explicit content, with some offering these capabilities for free and providing more graphic options through paid subscriptions.
Both Apple and Google maintain policies prohibiting nudification applications from their stores and typically restrict access to adult-rated content for minors. However, the companies acknowledged that they largely depend on developers to accurately classify their applications. The report found that age-gating mechanisms proved ineffective in multiple instances, with some apps rated suitable for users as young as four or nine years old despite containing explicit imagery and nudification features. In certain cases, accounts registered as 13 years old were able to confirm themselves as 17 and bypass age restrictions with a simple confirmation.
Following the report’s release, both companies announced additional enforcement measures. Google stated it removes apps with harmful content and has suspended violating applications. Apple implemented updated content moderation guidelines requiring developers to prevent nonconsensual intimate imagery and said it removes apps and developers that misrepresent their capabilities after launch.
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