Apple bans nudify apps that hide features during inspection

Apple changed its App Store rules last weekend. The rules ban apps that use AI to make offensive content. They also ban apps that hide a nudify feature during inspection and show it after approval. Apple calls this tactic bait and switch. It will remove apps that add features that were not in the version it inspected.

What the rules say

Apps that host user content must have a filter for harmful material, a way to report offensive content and a way to stop abusive accounts. Apps with hidden features are banned. The legal section also bars apps that promote human trafficking or the exploitation of children.

The numbers

Apple says that last year its inspection stopped more than 150,000 apps. It also removed 193,000 developer accounts for fraud and abuse. Apple gave no number for nudify apps.

What is not known

Apple did not tell how it will find a feature that appears after approval. In July, San Francisco ordered the two app stores to remove nudification apps. City Attorney David Chiu accused them of profit from store fees.

Insight: Apple now judges an app by the version it inspected

In April a report found nudify apps in the stores of Apple and Google. In July a city ordered them removed. A check of 175 AI tools found 105 changed a term in 15 weeks. This reads as Apple putting the risk on developers: a change after inspection that is not in the inspected version can end the app.