In a bold move to protect user safety, Meta has launched a lawsuit against a Hong Kong-based company, Joy Timeline, notorious for promoting generative AI apps that allow users to digitally undress people without consent. This legal action follows a revealing CBS News investigation that uncovered countless ads for these controversial "nudify" apps scattered across Meta’s platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads.

Meta has made it clear: "This legal action underscores both the seriousness with which we take this abuse and our commitment to doing everything we can to protect our community from it." They promised to employ all necessary measures—including legal avenues—to combat such exploitation on their platforms.

The lawsuit specifically targets Joy Timeline’s attempts to flout Meta’s ad review process, with allegations that the company has made several bids to circumvent the platform's restrictions. Recent investigations revealed that despite Meta’s removal efforts, traces of these unscrupulous AI tools still linger, making policy enforcement increasingly challenging.

The CBS report detailed a troubling pattern: many of the ads discovered were aimed at men between the ages of 18 and 65 across the US, UK, and the EU. These apps, primarily marketed for the purpose of digitally undressing women and celebrities without consent, contribute to alarming increases in blackmail and sextortion schemes, often getting into the hands of minors.

In April 2024, 404 Media conducted a related investigation that exposed similar AI deepfake tools being advertised on Instagram. Following the report, tech giants Apple and Google took action, removing several flagged apps from their marketplaces. Furthermore, San Francisco has initiated its lawsuit against 16 prominent AI "undressing" sites, signaling a growing concern over the proliferation of these dangerous technologies.