Meta and Apple Remove AI Deepfake App 'Kromix' and Its Ads
Meta has removed advertisements and Apple has pulled the app "Kromix" from the App Store after it was found to generate non-consensual explicit deepfakes. The app, which marketed itself as an "AI Image Stylizer," ran targeted ads on Meta platforms, including one featuring an AI-generated likeness of a prominent U.S. female politician. This incident highlights the ongoing challenges tech giants face in moderating AI-generated explicit content and preventing bad actors from bypassing app store review processes. It also underscores the growing threat of AI nudification tools being weaponized against public figures and ordinary individuals without their consent. Apple stated that Kromix likely bypassed its initial App Store review by adding the violating features and content after approval. The app had run 32 targeted ads on Meta's platforms before being flagged by media reports.
## BACKGROUND
AI nudification and face-swapping technologies use generative models to create synthetic, sexually explicit imagery of real individuals, often targeting women. Tech platforms like Apple and Meta have strict policies prohibiting the generation and promotion of sexually explicit content, but developers frequently attempt to bypass these restrictions by masquerading their apps as benign image editors.