Apple spells out App Store rules for AI intimate imagery

Apple updated its App Review Guidelines on October 16, 2026 and used the note to be explicit about nonconsensual intimate imagery. Pornography was already prohibited, including apps that generate nudity or sexual images of real people without consent. Section 1.2 now says apps that host user content must actively prevent and remove that imagery, and the examples include images made with AI tools. Developers who skip real safeguards, or who do not fix a problem after notice, can be treated as breaking the Developer Code of Conduct and can lose their place on the App Store.

The same note restates the ban on hidden or undocumented features. Apple describes a bait-and-switch pattern: an app looks acceptable during review, then reveals a nudification feature after approval. Apps that host user content are still expected to filter objectionable material, give people a way to report it, and let them block abusive accounts. For a social or generative app, this is a review requirement with removal as the consequence, not a style suggestion.

Why it matters

Apps that generate or host images of real people now have a clearer line in App Review, including hidden features.

Source: Apple Developer