Protesters demand Apple remove nudify apps and abuse imagery ahead of WWDC
Activist groups cite data from the Tech Transparency Project alleging Apple has earned at least $117 million from applications facilitating non-consensual deepfakes.
Activists from the women’s advocacy group UltraViolet and the Heat Initiative gathered outside Apple’s Cupertino campus during the Worldwide Developers Conference to demand the removal of applications that generate non-consensual sexualised imagery from the App Store. The groups also called for the deletion of known child sexual abuse material from iCloud services.
Protesters displayed a large sign stating “Apple is powered by child sexual abuse” and directed questions to incoming CEO John Ternus regarding his stance on these issues. The demonstration coincides with Apple’s annual developer event, providing a high-profile platform for the groups to highlight concerns over the company’s content moderation policies.
Pamphlets distributed at the protest cited data from the Tech Transparency Project, claiming that at least 47 nudify apps are available on the App Store. The groups allege that Apple has earned an estimated minimum of $117 million from these applications, including over $35 million from Elon Musk’s xAI Grok. These financial figures have not been independently verified by Linxi News or Apple.
The protest follows significant scrutiny earlier this year directed at both Apple and Google for retaining apps like xAI’s Grok on their platforms. Users of these applications have been able to create non-consensual sexualised deepfakes, prompting calls for stricter enforcement of app store guidelines regarding harmful content.
Apple previously abandoned plans to scan iCloud photos for child sexual abuse imagery due to privacy concerns. The company did not immediately provide a comment on the protest or the specific allegations raised by the activist groups.
