Apple has revised its App Store developer guidelines to prohibit apps that use artificial intelligence to generate offensive material, along with apps that pose as ordinary software to get through review and then add nudification features afterward. The update, announced over the weekend, targets applications that conceal their real purpose during the review process and only surface harmful capabilities - a practice Apple described as bait-and-switch. Apple said it will pull apps that introduce features absent from the build submitted for review.
The new rules also set expectations for apps that carry user-generated content. Under the guidelines, those apps must screen out objectionable material, provide a way for users to flag offensive content, and allow users to block abusive accounts. Apple said developers should build in sufficient preventive measures to moderate content that is objectionable or offensive. Apps with hidden or undocumented features remain barred from the App Store.
Apple also revised language in its legal section to make clear it will reject apps that promote human trafficking or the exploitation of children. The company pointed to the scale of its enforcement, saying its review process turned away more than 150,000 apps from reaching users last year and removed 193,000 developer accounts over fraud and abuse.
The guideline change follows pressure from San Francisco, which in July ordered Apple and Google to clean up their stores by deleting nudification apps. City Attorney David Chiu accused both companies of profiting from such apps through store fees. In April, a report from the Tech Transparency Project found that the two stores hosted multiple nudify apps, some of which carried ratings deeming them suitable for minors.
The issue sits at the intersection of app store policy and consumer protection in the US, where the guidelines govern what iPhone users can download. Apple's rules for user-generated content now explicitly cover AI-generated material, extending moderation duties to developers whose apps rely on artificial intelligence. Apple's update comes as store operators face scrutiny over how quickly they remove apps that misrepresent themselves.
Apple's review figures cover the prior year, and the company did not specify the number of apps affected by the revised guidelines. The changes took effect with the updated guidelines published over the weekend.
More software news from TechManNews.
