This week, San Francisco’s attorney general David Chiu sent a stern warning to tech giants Apple and Google. In a move aimed at curbing the proliferation of harmful nudification apps, Chiu demanded that these companies remove 13 such applications from their app stores.

Nudification apps have become increasingly sophisticated tools for creating explicit images from ordinary photos. These apps allow anyone to remove clothing, alter facial features, and even swap faces onto nude bodies—often at the expense of victims' privacy and mental well-being. Chiu’s letter highlighted the alarming scale of this issue, with a particular focus on its impact on women and children.

Chiu expressed his office's horror at how widely available these technologies have become, citing instances where they were used to bully, humiliate, and threaten individuals. He stressed that generating non-consensual intimate images is not only illegal but also profoundly harmful. The attorney general estimated that Apple and Google could be making 'millions of dollars' by ignoring such apps rather than taking decisive action.

Google’s spokesperson Dan Jackson responded by confirming the suspension of five flagged apps from its Play Store, stating their commitment to removing harmful content proactively. However, Chiu remains unconvinced, arguing that the current measures are insufficient given the public nuisance these tools represent.