What you need to know about the rise of "nudification" apps
| Time to read:6 minutes
While generative AI has brought incredible innovation, it has also introduced a dark and deeply personal form of digital violence: "nudifying" apps. These tools allow users to take a regular photo of a classmate, friend, or teacher and use AI to create a sexually explicit deepfake. This isn’t a digital prank, it is a severe violation of human dignity and a serious criminal act.
What makes this trend particularly dangerous is that these apps are now easily available to anyone, often without any safeguards, identity verification, or age limits.
Insights from Our Emergency Unit
At SomeBuddy’s Online Safety Emergency Unit, we have received cases where these tools have been used against children and young people. The impact is consistently severe. Victims often experience deep trauma, shame and direct effects to their social relationships such as bullying at school, and a persistent state of fear, knowing their image can be manipulated and circulated among peers in seconds.
Our data shows that when it comes to sexual crimes, and especially sextortion-related cases where nude images are used for blackmail, 71% of the young people asking for help from us had not shared their situation with any other adult. This is largely due to the immense guilt and shame victims feel. This technology is being weaponized by bullies and sex offenders alike to exert power and cause lasting psychological damage.
A Gendered Threat and Distorted Realities
The impact of these tools is overwhelmingly gendered. Evidence shows that 99% of sexually explicit deepfakes online are of women and girls (Children's Commissioner for England, 2025). Many of these apps are specifically trained to work only on female images, fixating on and demeaning the subject.
For boys, the risks are different but equally harmful. They are often targeted by online communities that use AI to spread extremist or sexually explicit material, normalizing a distorted view of relationships and consent. In other cases, they are targeted by international scammers looking to profit from a young boy's shame and desperation.
At SomeBuddy, we are seeing how the widespread availability and lack of oversight of these tools have allowed young people to use them against each other on scale. Personal photos are being turned into instruments of harm within school groups and social circles and this abuse isn't limited to peers. We are also seeing teachers and school staff subjected to ridicule and deepfake abuse. This trend doesn't just hurt individuals, it’s eroding the sense of trust and safety within our schools.
Why the EU is Stepping In
One of the biggest challenges in fighting this trend is the lack of existing legislation that targets the source. Currently, there is very little to hold the developers and companies creating these apps accountable or to prevent the harms before they happen. While the Digital Services Act (DSA) helps by compelling platforms to remove harmful content and identify systemic risks, it primarily addresses the spread rather than the creation. This often feels like playing "catch-up" after the damage is done, as the technology continues to evolve faster than our ability to moderate it.
To address this, the European Parliament has proposed a formal ban on AI nudification tools. The goal is to move beyond just punishing the user and to make the technology itself illegal to produce or distribute within the EU. This shift is vital because, until now, developers have operated in a gray zone where they profit from exploitation with almost zero legal risk.
While the EU evaluates its next steps, the UK has already taken a significant lead in this fight. Recent legislation now makes the mere creation of sexually explicit deepfakes a criminal offense, even if the perpetrator has no intention of sharing the image. This is a shift in legal thinking that recognizes that the act of nudifying someone’s image is a violation of consent and human dignity in its own right. By removing the requirement to prove distribution, the UK law aims to stop the abuse at the moment of creation, providing a clear blueprint for how other nations can strip the gray zone away from developers and users alike.
Fake Images, Real Crimes
It is crucial for caregivers and young people to understand that creating or sharing these deepfakes can be illegal. Participating in this trend is not just a school disciplinary matter, it can result in a permanent criminal record that follows a person into adulthood, jeopardizing future education and career prospects. Beyond the legal risks, it’s important to address the fundamental values at stake. The human impact is really devastating and globally there have been tragic cases of suicide among young victims, proving that the consequences are real and severe.
What to do if a crisis hits?
If you or someone you know is targeted by nudification tools or any form of digital abuse, it is vital to act quickly:
- Document Everything. Take screenshots of the content and where it is being shared. This is your evidence. Do not share or circulate the images further yourself.
- File a Police Report. Report the incident to your local law enforcement. It is important to let the authorities handle the situation and investigate the criminal nature of these acts.
- Seek Professional Help. At SomeBuddy, we assist our users in getting harmful content removed from platforms, provide psychosocial first-aid and help pursue legal remedies. Beyond our services, many European organizations are dedicated to victim support. For cases involving children, Eurochild coordinates a vast network across Europe where you can find specialized information and local resources tailored to your country.
- Emotional Support. It’s important to know that there is support to get. It’s not the victims fault and there is hope as well as concrete actions to resolve the situation.
- Open the Conversation. We must teach children that their digital image deserves the same protection and integrity as their physical one. Discussing values and the fact that there is no real gap between online and offline behavior is essential.
Respecting the digital dignity of others is a non-negotiable part of modern life. Every child has the right to feel safe in their digital playground and communities. By shining a light on this rapidly growing form of abuse, we can help kids stay safe, understand their rights and obligations, and live a healthier digital life.
I hope you enjoyed this newsletter. For more information about SomeBuddy and our mission to help keep our users safe in online spaces you can visit https://www.somebuddy.com/.
Also - if you have any questions, thoughts or perhaps suggestions for our next newsletter, please reach out to me at essi@somebuddy.com
Stay safe!
Essi Alho, Head of Nordics, SomeBuddy
Kaisa Rissanen, Head of Legal and Operations, SomeBuddy