Overview
- After WIRED’s report on Tuesday, Meta removed a 32-ad campaign tied to the Kromix app and Apple pulled Kromix and related apps such as MaskAI from the App Store following inquiries from reporters.
- WIRED reviewed an ad that moved from a staged photo of a woman resembling a prominent female U.S. politician to a pornographic deepfake, and Meta says the campaign targeted male users and ran mostly short, low-impression ads.
- Meta officials point to policy bans and large-scale removals, saying the company removed over 340,000 ads for nudify services in recent months and has launched new AI tools to detect violative ads.
- Researchers and safety advocates say the core problem is enforcement, not rules: automated ad review, fewer human moderators, benign cover images, and short-lived campaigns let advertisers evade detection and publish sexualized images including face-swapped minors.
- The episode has triggered legal pressure and broader scrutiny, with local authorities issuing cease-and-desist orders and experts warning regulators and platforms must combine stronger detection, human review, and developer accountability to stop repeated harms.