A recent investigation by an online advocacy group called the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) sheds light on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. These are AI applications that create non-consensual sexual images, in clear violation of both companies’ store policies.
Overall, the study found 55 apps of this type in the Google Play Store and 47 in the Apple App Store. Both platforms still offer access to Grok, perhaps the most famous xAI in the world.
“Apple and Google should be scrutinizing the apps in their stores,” said Michelle Kuppersmith, executive director of the nonprofit organization that runs TTP. “But they offer a plethora of apps that people can use to show themselves wearing minimal clothing or no clothing at all, making them ripe for abuse.”
In total, the apps identified in the report have been downloaded more than 700 million times and generated more than $117 million in revenue. Google and Apple receive a cut of this money.
Many of the apps named in the survey are rated as suitable for teens and children. For example, DreamFace is rated suitable for ages 13 and up in the Google Play Store and for ages 9 and up in the Apple App Store.
Both companies responded to the investigation. Apple announced that it had removed 24 apps from its store. . However, this falls short of the 47 apps discovered by TTP researchers. A Google spokesperson said the company has suspended several apps mentioned in the report for violating store policies, but declined to say how many apps were removed.
This report came after Elon Musk’s Grok was found to be producing sexual images of both. Overall, the AI chatbot generated approximately 3 million sexual images and 22,000 images involving children.
Representatives for the company did not specifically respond to the allegations, other than sending an email that read “Legacy Media Lies.” Musk also said that he was “not aware of any images of naked minors produced by Grok. There are literally zero.”
X’s safety account said, “Those who use Grok or encourage the creation of illegal content using Grok will suffer the same consequences as if they had uploaded illegal content.”
