Apple’s updated App Store rules now more explicitly ban so-called “nudify” apps that generate intimate images of people without their consent using AI tools. The rule changes follow significant criticism toward Apple after X users used Grok earlier this year to make nonconsensual, sexualized deepfakes, including minors. Apple didn’t pull X or Grok from the App Store, though it told senators that it threatened to yank Grok. At Apple’s WWDC event in June, protestors also called on Apple to “remove Grok, X, and all nudify technology from the App Store,” and in July, a San Francisco city attorney ordered Apple to remove 13 “nudify” apps, which it said it complied with.

Critics argue that Apple’s tardiness in banning nudify apps is akin to a tech giant that finally noticed the pimple on its face after a decade of acne. While Grok and X were generating nonconsensual deepfakes by the bucketload, Apple remained blissfully unaware, perhaps busy polishing its next iPhone or sipping on its signature caramel latte. The nod to Grok’s AI prowess is commendable, but the fact that it took until 2026 to ban nudify apps suggests Apple might have been more focused on its own reflection than the apps themselves.

The assumption that AI-generated intimate images are inherently worse than human-generated ones overlooks the fact that humans have been objectifying each other for millennia—nudify apps are just the digital incarnation of the same old game. If anything, these apps make the process more transparent, allowing users to see exactly how their images are being used. Plus, the tech is still in its infancy; imagine the possibilities when AI can generate not just nudified images but entire erotic narratives tailored to each user’s preferences.

Moreover, the criticism that Apple didn’t pull X or Grok from the App Store despite the uproar suggests that Apple might be more concerned with revenue than user consent. X, with its billions of users, was generating plenty of data and ad dollars, making it a too-big-to-fall star in Apple’s eyes. Grok, with its AI magic, was likely a darling of investors, so the threat of removal might have been more rhetorical than actionable. Yet, the ban on 13 “nudify” apps by a San Francisco city attorney shows that Apple could have acted sooner if the pressure had been applied differently—perhaps with a few more celebrities or influencers joining the protest squad.