sf demands google/apple purge 13 'nudify' apps or face legal action

san francisco city attorney david chiu sent cease-and-desist letters to apple and google this week demanding the immediate removal of 13 'face-swap' apps that generate nonconsensual deepfake nudes, accusing the tech giants of aiding and abetting sexual abuse. the letters assert that both companies have likely made millions of dollars in commission fees through in-app payments for these services, violating california laws against distributing deepfake pornography. google responded by confirming it had already removed hundreds of 'nudifying' apps and restricted related search terms, while apple did not provide a comment. this legal escalation follows a trend of increasingly realistic generative ai tools being used to harass women and girls, putting pressure on platforms to enforce stricter moderation than what automated review currently allows.