AI nudify apps used on UK schoolchildren; 483M downloads, Apple and Google still serving ads
AI-generated child abuse images surged from 13 to 3,443 in one year – and the apps are still in stores
The Internet Watch Foundation has identified 150 AI-generated images from a single UK secondary school as criminal child sexual abuse material (CSAM), created by pupils using so-called nudify apps. The tools allow users to strip clothing from photos of real individuals, often classmates, using generative AI. This marks a sharp escalation in technology-facilitated abuse: in 2024 just 13 AI-generated CSAM videos were identified, but that number exploded to 3,443 in 2025. An overwhelming 97% of victims are girls.
UK schools are now being urged to remove children's photos from public-facing websites because criminals are scraping them to feed into these nudify tools. The apps have collectively been downloaded 483 million times. Even after removing some apps from their stores, Apple and Google are still serving ads for them, continuing to profit from the ecosystem. The broader structural issue parallels the Motherless precedent, where a platform operated for 18 years under Section 230 before being taken down—highlighting how current liability laws enable sustained harm.
- IWF classified 150 AI-generated images from one UK school as criminal CSAM, made by pupils of pupils
- AI-generated CSAM videos surged from 13 in 2024 to 3,443 in 2025; 97% of victims are girls
- Nudify apps have been downloaded 483 million times; Apple and Google still serve ads for them
Why It Matters
This shows platform liability gaps enabling algorithmic abuse at scale, demanding urgent regulatory and legal reform.