Apple’s new App Store rules crack down on AI nudification and ‘bait-and-switch’ apps

The updated guidelines specifically target apps that misrepresent their purpose during review, only to reveal harmful functionalities like "nudification" after approval. Apple has made its prohibition on hidden features more explicit, now calling out code obfuscation and stating that violations can lead to app removal and developer account termination.

These revisions under Sections 1.2 and 2.3.1 aim to strengthen protections against user-generated content that involves intellectual property infringement, nonconsensual intimate imagery, and anonymous bullying. The company also reinforced its stance against apps facilitating human trafficking or child exploitation under Section 5, explicitly stating they will be removed and blocked from alternative distribution.

The move comes after several incidents, including an investigation by the Tech Transparency Project into AI "nudify" apps and a 9to5Mac report on apps disguised as games that revealed hidden gambling platforms in Brazil. The "Grok controversy," involving Elon Musk's AI chatbot generating nonconsensual sexualized images, also contributed to calls for stricter enforcement.