A 13-year-old can download an AI app that generates nude images of people from photographs, even when parental controls are enabled. Some apps advertise themselves as photo editors or virtual outfit try-on tools, concealing their ability to generate sexualised images. According to an investigation by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP), four test accounts created for a 13-year-old boy in the US, two each (a default account and one with parental controls) on Apple and Google, could access 135 nudify apps.
The default Apple account accessed 61 apps, compared with 24 on its parent-supervised account. On Google, the default account accessed 47 apps, while the parent-supervised account accessed 51. Apple’s accounts received advertisements for 13 nudify apps, while Google’s received five.
How are these apps reaching teenagers? Both companies rely on information supplied by developers through online questionnaires to determine app age ratings. TTP found that this self-reporting system allowed apps with sexually explicit features to carry ratings suitable for children and teenagers, bypassing parental restrictions.
The default Apple account could download adult-rated apps after confirming through a pop-up that the user was at least 17, despite Apple knowing the account holder was 13. Google blocked three downloads because developers had independently restricted access to under-18s; otherwise, the default account faced few barriers.
Moreover, neither company required or suggested parental controls during account creation. TTP also found that neither platform notified parents when teenagers used gift cards to purchase subscriptions within previously approved apps, even when the purchases unlocked nudify features. Apple said such purchases should trigger parental approval and that it was investigating the unexpected behaviour.
App removals and parental controls still have gaps: The investigation found that parental controls did not consistently prevent access to sexually explicit AI tools. Google blocked adult-rated apps from appearing in search results for its parent-supervised account, but inaccurate ratings allowed dozens of other apps through. Apple’s recommended age restrictions likewise failed to prevent access to apps rated suitable for children.
Advertising also exposed teenagers to apps whose promotional material differed from their apparently innocuous store descriptions. TTP could not determine whether Apple itself served one sexually explicit advertisement or whether a third-party advertising network delivered it.
Removing apps from storefronts did not necessarily disable them. As of September 28, Apple had removed 25 nudify apps identified by TTP, while Google had removed six. However, all the removed apps remained functional on the test phones. The investigation also found that developers sometimes concealed nudify tools behind subscription paywalls.
Specific examples cited in the report:
- HypeCut (Apple): Rated 18+, the AI video generator was accessible to the default 13-year-old account. TTP found that it could generate a nude image from a photograph of a clothed woman.
- Vidou AI (Apple): Despite a 9+ rating, the app offered tools to digitally undress people. The parent-supervised account purchased a subscription without notifying the parent.
- FaceSwap – AI Face Swap Video (Apple): Rated suitable for users aged four and above, the app generated a nude image when the tester entered the prompt “remove clothes”. Its developer, Digital Chimpanzee, said it submitted an updated version with an 18+ rating and introduced an NSFW checker.
- Boom AI (Google): Rated for everyone, the app generated a video matching a prompt to remove a woman’s top. Google did not alert the paired parent account when the teenager purchased tokens.
- Memory Revive (Google): Also rated for everyone, the app initially appeared innocuous but displayed sexually explicit templates after the teenager subscribed to its paid version.
- BeautyPlus (Google): The parent-supervised account could access the photo editor, whose templates included tools to place women in bikinis. According to mobile analytics firm AppMagic, the app had more than 500 million downloads and generated over $100 million in lifetime revenue.
What do their policies say? Both Apple and Google prohibit apps that generate non-consensual sexual imagery. Apple’s October 16, 2026 revisions explicitly address “bait-and-switch” apps: those that misrepresent their purpose during review and reveal harmful capabilities, such as nudification, only after approval. Although Apple already prohibited apps that generate sexually explicit images of real people without consent, the revisions clarify that developers cannot conceal functionality to evade review. Apple also strengthened requirements for user-generated content apps to prevent and remove non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated images. Similarly, Google Play’s policies prohibit pornography, sexually gratifying content and the distribution of non-consensual sexual content.
Also read:
- Apple and Google promote ‘nudify’ apps despite policy bans, report finds
- Apple can now remove App Store apps purely for low engagement
The post Report: Teen accounts with parental controls are still able to access nudify apps on Google, Apple play stores appeared first on MEDIANAMA.