On May 19th, the Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA) joined UltraViolet and 54 advocacy organizations in a letter urging all state attorneys general (AG’s) to take legal action against app stores for platforming ‘nudify’ apps.
The coalition letter, authored by UltraViolet, calls on the National Association of Attorneys General to investigate and enforce existing laws against app stores for hosting and promoting apps that generate non-consensual explicit materials (NCEM), also known as deepfake porn or AI pornography. These apps enable and encourage digital sexual violence by allowing users to create fake ‘nudes’ and artificial ‘porn’ of real people without their consent.
An investigative report by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) found that the Google Play Store and Apple App Store regularly offered users apps that are capable of generating NCEM. Further, the app stores did not merely host these apps; autocomplete and advertising systems frequently directed users to them.
Apple’s App Store ran paid advertisements for ‘Nudify’ apps as the top search result in several of TTP’s tests. These harmful apps have been downloaded 483 million times, generating over $122 million in lifetime revenue. Apple and Google collect a cut of these exploitative profits through in-app purchases and subscriptions. In other words, Apple and Google are both profiting off of the rampant digital sexual violence.
“Both Apple and Google have policies explicitly prohibiting ‘nudify’ apps and other apps to generate deepfake pornography. Yet, neither company is enforcing them,” said Omny Miranda Martone, Founder and CEO of the SVPA. “I was a victim of deepfake porn on an app that is still available in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. I can’t help but think that these companies are encouraging ‘nudify’ apps because they have a profit incentive.”
The NCEM, like the deepfake porn that these apps create, is a form of digital sexual violence. It violates victims’ consent, autonomy, and privacy. Victims face immense emotional trauma as well as increased risk of stalking, domestic abuse, sexual violence, loss of employment, and a damaged reputation.
This letter is the latest in SVPA’s fight against digital sexual violence. We have led the DEFIANCE Act, a federal bill empowering victims of NCEM to seek justice. We developed the 5 R’s of Digital Bystander Intervention and the Blueprint to Prevent Digital Sexual Violence. We’ve advocated for several state bills and federal regulations. We have joined efforts to remove Grok/X from app stores, countered the AI moratorium, submitted testimony to the Senate on AI chatbots, encouraged the UN Cybercrimes Convention, and pressured Congress to take action.
Digital sexual violence is rapidly spreading and deeply harmful. SVPA is proud to join this coalition of 54 organizations urging AG’s to take action. We must compel app stores to comply with our laws, enforce their own policies, and establish safeguards to prevent digital sexual violence across the country.
