Protesters are using the WWDC 2026 opening keynote to call attention to so-called "nudify" apps, pushing Apple to remove these apps from its App Store.
At the Cupertino Apple Park campus, Apple has welcomed developers and members of the press to watch its WWDC opening keynote. But protesters from UltraViolet, a women's advocacy group, are also in attendance with a sign claiming "Apple is powered by child sexual abuse."
The Verge reports that Heat Initiative, a group that aims to "hold tech companies accountable for enabling and profiting from child sexual abuse," is also present. Another sign asks incoming Apple CEO John Ternus. "What will you do?"
The sign is in reference to apps, found in the App Store, that can leverage AI abilities to remove a person's clothes. All the apps need to get started is a photo.
One of the most high-profile apps is xAI's Grok. Pamphlets shared at the protest note that at least 47 nudify apps have been found on Apple's App Store.
An unwanted distraction
The protest will be an unwanted distraction, but it's one that Apple should perhaps have seen coming. Apps that allow people to create deepfake nudes of others, including minors, have been a huge problem in recent months.
On the face of it, Apple's App Store rules should prevent these kinds of apps from being available on the iPhone. But, so far, Grok and other apps that have been misused to "nudify" people's photos have remained available.
Even worse, there have been reports of some deepfake nonconsensual porn apps being allowed to advertise in the App Store itself.
