EU lawmakers have reached a landmark agreement to ban so-called 'nudification' apps, which use generative AI to create realistic, non-consensual nude images from ordinary photos. The deal, announced May 7th, targets AI systems designed to 'undress' individuals or depict them in sexually explicit scenarios without consent.
These apps have exploded in popularity since 2017. Using advanced diffusion models, they can now produce high-resolution fake nudes from a single social media snapshot in seconds. According to reports, deepfake porn apps have been downloaded more than 705 million times worldwide as of 2026, with a 118% surge in 2024 alone. The majority of victims - 99% - are women and children.
Under the new rules, developers and app stores must remove these services from the EU market by December 2026 or face severe financial penalties. Officials describe the ban as a moral and legal 'red line,' setting a potential global standard for regulating AI-generated abusive content.