Meta filed a lawsuit against a developer for allegedly running advertisements to promote its “nudify” apps, which use artificial intelligence to create nonconsensual nude or sexually explicit images.
The suit accuses Joy Timeline HK Limited, the developer behind CrushAI apps, of violating Meta’s rules against nonconsensual intimate imagery. Meta noted its policies were updated more than a year ago to further clarify the promotion of nudify apps or related products is not permitted on their platforms.
Meta claimed the Hong Kong-based company attempted to “circumvent” Meta’s ad review process and continued to run the ads even after the social media firm removed them.
The Hill reached out to Joy Timeline HK Limited for comment.
“This legal action underscores both the seriousness with which we take this abuse and our commitment to doing all we can to protect our community from it,” Meta wrote in a release Thursday.
The Facebook and Instagram parent company touted how it removes these types of ads once its teams are made aware. Meta also blocks links to websites and restricts search terms like “nudify,” “delete clothing,” or “undress.”
The lawsuit is part of Meta’s broader fight against nudify apps. In addition to the work on its platforms, the technology firm said has started sharing links for violating apps with other tech companies, providing more than 3,800 links since the end of March.
Meta also is developing new technology designed to more easily identify these ads, even if they do not include nudity, and have expert teams tracking down account networks accused of running these ads.
Social media companies have faced increased pressure to limit this type of content on their platforms, from both lawmakers and tech safety groups.
This comes just weeks after President Trump signed the Take It Down Act, making it a crime to knowingly publish sexually explicit “deepfake” images and videos online.
Meta said it “welcomes legislation that helps fight intimate image abuse across the internet” and applauded the Take it Down Act.
