Meta, Apple remove Kromix AI ‘nudify’ app over deepfake concerns

The incident highlights growing challenges for technology platforms in preventing AI-generated sexual deepfakes, as companies face increasing scrutiny over advertisements and applications that can create non-consensual intimate imagery.

Meta and Apple have taken action against Kromix, an AI-powered image editing application accused of enabling the creation of sexually explicit deepfake content involving real people. Meta removed advertisements for the application from Facebook and Instagram, while Apple took Kromix off its App Store.

The developments have renewed concerns about how AI tools capable of producing non-consensual intimate images are reaching users despite restrictions imposed by major technology platforms. Such applications, commonly described as “nudify” tools, can manipulate ordinary photographs to create fabricated sexually explicit images or videos of individuals without their consent.

Kromix was promoted as an AI image editing tool but also offered capabilities that could be used to generate explicit content. One advertisement reportedly featured a sexually explicit deepfake resembling a prominent US political figure, adding to concerns about the potential misuse of such technology.

Platforms face renewed moderation scrutiny

The case has placed renewed attention on Meta’s advertising controls. Meta has publicly said that it prohibits non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated material, and has also taken measures specifically targeting advertisements for nudify applications.

Reports indicate that the Kromix campaign consisted of around 32 advertisements aimed at male users. The ads were reportedly active for relatively short periods, highlighting the difficulty platforms face in identifying and removing problematic promotions before they reach users at scale.

Meta has previously acknowledged the growing threat posed by nudify applications and said it was developing technology to identify advertisements promoting such services. The company has also pursued legal action against entities associated with these applications.

Apple, meanwhile, removed Kromix from its App Store after concerns were raised about the application. The company maintains strict rules covering explicit sexual content and applications that facilitate prohibited material. Apple’s developer guidelines also classify explicit sexual content and nudity as restricted content.

The removal of Kromix is part of a broader effort by Apple to address applications capable of generating or manipulating sexually explicit imagery. Other AI-based nudify applications have also faced removal from app marketplaces as concerns over non-consensual imagery have increased.

Deepfake misuse becoming a wider concern

The Kromix case comes amid growing concern over the use of generative AI to create fake intimate images of real individuals. Public figures, politicians and ordinary users can all become targets, with the resulting content potentially causing harassment, reputational damage and other forms of harm.

The technology has also raised concerns about the ease with which realistic manipulated imagery can be produced. Recent investigations have highlighted the availability and growing reach of AI nudification tools, including applications that can transform photographs of clothed individuals into fabricated explicit content.

The issue is increasingly becoming a challenge for the wider technology ecosystem, involving AI developers, app stores, advertising networks and social media platforms. While companies have strengthened their policies and detection systems, incidents such as the Kromix case demonstrate the continuing difficulty of preventing harmful AI applications and promotions from slipping through moderation systems.

As generative AI capabilities become more accessible, the pressure on technology companies to strengthen safeguards around synthetic sexual content and protect people from non-consensual deepfakes is expected to intensify.