Apple has removed a number of AI image generation apps from the App Store after 404 Media found these apps advertised the ability to create nonconsensual nude images, a sign that app store operators are starting to take more action against these types of apps.
Overall, Apple removed three apps from the App Store, but only after we provided the company with links to the specific apps and their related ads, indicating the company was not able to find the apps that violated its policy itself.
The issue is not only concerning because of the app’s ability to fool at least some portion of RockAuto’s customers but also because it undermines Apple’s messaging about how the App Store is a trusted and secure marketplace — which is why it demands a cut of developers’ in-app purchase transactions. The tech giant has been fighting back against regulations like the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), by claiming these laws would compromise customer safety and privacy. Apple believes that customers will be at risk if they conduct business outside its App Store with unknown parties. But, as these cases show, bad actors can too easily infiltrate its own app marketplace as well.
There appears to be an increasingly widespread Apple ID outage of some sort impacting users tonight. A number of people across social media say that they were logged out of their Apple ID across multiple devices on Friday evening and forced to reset their password before logging back in.
Perhaps because of all the complaints, some of the more egregious offenders — Google Photos, Apple Photos, Facebook, and Microsoft OneDrive — have ways that you can stop them from appearing. Depending on the app, you can tweak your settings to avoid specific memory notifications — or stop them altogether.
Here is how to rein in unwanted memories from these four apps.
The move marks a reopening of dialogue between the companies. Apple had talked to OpenAI about a deal earlier this year, though work between the two parties had been minimal since then. Apple also remains in discussions with Alphabet’s Google about licensing that company’s Gemini chatbot.
Apple hasn’t made a final decision on which partners it will use, and there’s no guarantee that a deal will be worked out. It’s possible that the company ultimately reaches an agreement with both OpenAI and Google — or picks another provider entirely. Representatives for Apple, OpenAI and Google declined to comment.
Defaults matter: they express a product’s purpose.
I hope the upcoming AI in Xcode can encourage me to do better.
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