Meta Sues Hong Kong AI App Maker for Nonconsensual Nude Image Ads

Meta has filed a lawsuit against Joy Timeline HK Limited, the Hong Kong-based company behind the CrushAI app and other 'nudify' AI apps that generate nonconsensual nude or sexually explicit images from photos. This legal action follows a CBS News investigation that uncovered hundreds of ads promoting such apps across Meta’s platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads. Meta alleges that Joy Timeline repeatedly circumvented its ad review processes, using numerous business accounts and pages to promote these apps, which are linked to sextortion, blackmail, and exploitation, especially targeting women and female celebrities. Despite efforts to remove these ads and accounts, some related content remained accessible, highlighting the difficulty in enforcing platform policies against these evolving AI-powered abuses. Meta is enhancing its technology to detect and block these ads, collaborating with other tech companies and app stores to curb the spread of nonconsensual explicit AI-generated content. The crackdown represents one of Meta's most robust responses to the rising problem of AI deepfake abuse on social media platforms.