Apple updated its App Store Review Guidelines on Friday to explicitly prohibit applications that generate nonconsensual intimate imagery using artificial intelligence. The revision states that developers must actively prevent and remove such content, and those who fail to implement adequate safeguards or address violations after notification may face removal from the platform.

The change follows heightened scrutiny of AI tools capable of producing synthetic sexualized images without consent. In July, a San Francisco city attorney directed Apple to remove 13 apps classified as "nudify" services, which had been used to create deepfakes of minors and other individuals. Although Apple had previously indicated it would consider removing the AI image generator Grok from its store after internal concerns were raised with U.S. senators, it did not take action against the X platform itself.

Apple also refined its policy around "bait-and-switch" applications — apps that introduce features like image manipulation after initial approval — requiring developers to maintain consistent functionality throughout a product's lifecycle. Additionally, the updated rules reinforce prohibitions against software facilitating human trafficking or child exploitation, mandating that such applications be blocked from distribution.

The revisions reflect Apple's effort to strengthen content moderation standards while maintaining compliance with existing legal and ethical expectations around digital safety.