Apple Removes 19 Apps After WIRED Uncovers 400-App Deepfake Network

A November 2 WIRED investigation identified more than 400 connected apps and web domains that appeared to offer harmless AI services, including pet portraits, language lessons and fitness coaching, but could secretly load tools for generating sexually abusive deepfakes. Apple removed 19 apps, including Viefur, after reporters contacted the company.

Apple said the apps complied with its rules during initial review and were later changed by developers, a technique that lets a seemingly innocent app gain new, harmful capabilities after approval. Researchers had separately identified 27 related apps on Google Play in September 2026 with more than 350,000 collective downloads.

The network's scale alarmed researchers because the apps were designed to look ordinary. Users downloading a pet-portrait generator or a workout coach would have had no reason to suspect the same developer network was linked to non-consensual sexual imagery.

Non-consensual deepfakes have become one of the fastest-growing forms of online abuse, with victims overwhelmingly women. Lawmakers in the United States and elsewhere have begun passing laws criminalizing their creation and distribution, but enforcement against sprawling app networks remains difficult.

Apple said it removed the apps once the hidden functionality was confirmed, and the investigation is likely to renew pressure on app stores to monitor apps after approval, not just at review. Researchers urged users to check an app's developer history and permissions before installing AI tools from unfamiliar publishers.