Summary
An investigation reported a network of more than 400 connected apps and domains, linked to Chinese-language developers and Chinese hosting, that hid web interfaces allowing users to upload photos and generate sexually explicit AI deepfake images and videos. Researchers said the hidden interfaces included pornographic deepfake templates (reports name some templates like “bedroom rape”), a system to purchase credits, and that the operation used cloaking to pass App Store review and drive tens of thousands of ads on Meta’s Facebook and Instagram.
Wired’s reporting and researchers cited by Breitbart say the network ran for about a year after domains began appearing in late 2025; some ads contained AI-generated child sexual abuse material and images reported to depict a member of a European royal family. The apps were available on Apple’s and Google’s app stores, researchers reported combined downloads exceeding 350,000 for apps still live as of September, and the revelations prompted removals by Apple and Google and regulatory scrutiny tied to the Meta ads.