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By Janice Robinson-Celeste

A Pennsylvania mother thought AI-generated sexual images were something that happened to celebrities, until she learned a classmate had allegedly used an app to create sexual videos from pictures of her daughter and five other girls. A new investigation adds an important point for every family: even parental controls may not keep teens from accessing nudify apps.

Quick Review

• The Tech Transparency Project found that four test accounts for a 13-year-old could access 135 nudify apps across Apple and Google.
• Parental controls did not block all access. In one Google test, the supervised account could access more apps than the account without controls.
• Store ratings and controls are not a complete safety check. Review apps with your teen and talk about what to do if someone is targeted.
• Removing an app from a store does not necessarily remove it from a phone. If you find an app you do not trust, delete it from the device too.

What Are Nudify Apps and Why Should You Care

Nudify apps use AI features to alter images of people, making them appear undressed or placing them in sexualized images or videos. They may be promoted as photo editors, face-swap tools, or video generators, so a name or age rating alone may not tell you what an app can do.

The concern is not limited to celebrities or public figures. As the Guardian reported in its exclusive account, Pennsylvania mother Morgan Dorfman learned in December 2025 that a high school classmate had allegedly used Movely to make sexual videos from images of her daughter and five other girls. The Guardian reported that Radnor police later charged the student with harassment. A charge is an allegation, not a finding of guilt.

Dorfman said she had thought deepfakes affected celebrities such as Taylor Swift. Her experience is a reminder that an everyday photo can be misused, and that children need support if something happens. For a practical response plan, visit SCN’s AI emergency guide for parents and our coverage of AI fake nudes reaching teen classrooms.

What the Investigation Found

The Tech Transparency Project investigation, published October 19, 2026, created four test accounts posing as 13-year-old boys: two for Apple and two for Google. One account in each pair had parental controls enabled. TTP reported that the accounts could access 135 nudify apps in total. AppMagic data cited by TTP estimated those apps had accumulated 5.5 billion downloads and $3.9 billion in revenue.

The account-by-account findings show why a single parental-control setting cannot guarantee a safe app store:

• Apple’s account without controls could access 61 apps; the supervised account could access 24.
• Google’s account without controls could access 47 apps; the supervised account could access 51.

According to TTP, both companies rely on developer-provided questionnaires for app age ratings. The investigation found that apps with nudify features had ratings that made them available to young users. One face-swap app was rated 4+, Vidou AI was rated 9+ and opened with an image of a topless woman, and Airbrush was rated 13+.

TTP also found that Apple’s only barrier when the 13-year-old tried to get an 18+ app was a pop-up asking the user to confirm they were 17 or older. The test account could tap “OK.” The teen accounts also saw ads for apps TTP identified as nudify-capable: 13 ads on Apple and five on Google.

Another reported blind spot involved subscriptions. TTP said neither company alerted the parent account when test users used gift cards to buy subscriptions that unlocked features behind paywalls. Apple told TTP that such purchases should trigger parent approval and that a failure to do so would be unexpected behavior under investigation.

TTP reported that by September 28, Apple had removed 25 of the apps it identified and Google had removed six. But the apps remained functional on the test phones where they had already been installed, the investigation found. Store removal and device removal are not the same thing.

Turning on parental controls is step one, not the whole job: investigators found a supervised 13-year-old could still download dozens of nudify apps.

Know a parent who needs this? Send it to them.

What Apple and Google Say

Apple says it prohibits nudify apps and removes developers that add harmful capabilities after review, a tactic it describes as “bait-and-switch.” In a statement reported by TTP, Apple also said some apps named in the investigation are mainstream editing tools, including CapCut and Picsart, and do not have nudification capabilities.

After TTP contacted Apple, the company published updated App Store review guidelines. Apple said the updates explicitly cover nonconsensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated imagery, and tighten its rules against apps that conceal or misrepresent features.

Google spokesperson Dan Jackson said the company does not allow apps with sexual content or nudify features. He said Google investigates violations and takes swift action, including suspending violating apps and restricting related search terms.

These are company statements. TTP’s account-specific findings describe what its test users could access; the policy announcements describe how the companies say they intend to respond.

What Parents Can Do Right Now

A calm, practical conversation is more useful than expecting one setting to catch every problem. Review the phone together, and make clear that your teen can come to you without being blamed if a photo is misused.

1. Talk before a problem arises. Explain that AI tools can misuse ordinary photos. Tell your teen not to create or share sexual images of anyone, and to seek help if someone asks them to make, send, or forward one.

2. Review installed apps together. Look at unfamiliar photo editors, face-swap tools, and video generators. Check what an app does, what permissions it requests, and whether its features or terms have changed. Delete apps you do not trust.

3. Look beyond the age rating. TTP found that some apps were rated for children despite features the investigators considered nudify-capable. Review the listing, developer, screenshots, and permissions, but remember that these checks cannot guarantee an app is safe.

4. Check subscriptions and gift-card spending. Review purchase history and recurring charges together. TTP found that gift-card purchases for subscriptions did not alert parent accounts during its tests, so do not rely on alerts as your only check.

5. Take school incidents seriously. If a student is targeted, listen without blame and contact the school. Save relevant messages, account names, dates, URLs, and app details. If you take screenshots, capture surrounding messages and information, not explicit images involving a minor. Do not forward or distribute sexual images. Report the incident to the platform and consider contacting local police or a qualified professional. Laws vary, and some jurisdictions criminalize certain conduct involving AI-generated sexual images of minors.

6. Delete removed apps from the phone. TTP found that some apps remained usable after their store listings were removed. If an app is already installed and you want it gone, remove it from the device and check whether a subscription needs to be canceled separately.

FAQs

Are Nudify Apps Illegal?

Laws differ by location and by the conduct involved. Creating or sharing sexual images of a minor, including some AI-generated images, may carry serious legal consequences. If a child is affected, contact local authorities or a qualified legal professional for advice specific to your area.

Can Parental Controls Block Nudify Apps?

They can help limit access, but the TTP investigation found they did not block every app in its tests. Continue checking apps, purchases, and installed software, and keep talking with your teen.

What Should I Do If My Child’s Photo Was Used in a Nudify App?

Stay calm and reassure your child that they are not to blame. Preserve relevant details such as messages, usernames, URLs, dates, and app names. Avoid downloading, forwarding, or circulating sexual imagery involving a minor. Report the content to the platform and consider contacting local police. SCN’s AI emergency guide offers further steps.

At What Age Should I Talk to My Child About Deepfakes?

Start before your child uses social apps or image-editing tools, then revisit the conversation as their online activities change. Keep it age-appropriate and focus on consent, privacy, and how to get help.

Have you talked with your teen about deepfake apps yet? Tell us how it went in the comments.

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