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What Parents Need to Know About Nudify Apps

“Nudify” apps use AI to turn an ordinary, fully clothed photo into a fake nude or sexually explicit image. A child’s picture from social media, a school event or a friend’s phone can be used without their knowledge, and free AI image generators and chatbots can be misused the same way. The images are fake, but the harm is real.

By the CITA Editorial TeamUpdated October 5, 20265 min read

NCMEC is seeing a growing number of these incidents in schools, most often among classmates ages 14 to 17.[1] Many parents have never heard of these tools. Many kids have.

Fast Facts About Nudify Apps

  • 1 in 8 young people ages 13 to 20 knew someone targeted by deepfake nudes in a 2024 survey.[2]
  • Sexual images of minors made with AI are illegal child sexual abuse material under federal law.[3]
  • In May 2026, the FTC warned 12 nudify companies that they appeared to be breaking the Take It Down Act, with civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation.[4]
  • Covered platforms must remove intimate images, including deepfakes, and known copies within 48 hours of a valid request.[5]
  • As of September 2026, 47 states criminalize AI-generated sexual images of children.[6]

If a fake nude of your child is being shared

  • Don’t share it further, even to show others what happened.
  • Report it to the platform. It must remove the image within 48 hours of a valid request.[5]
  • Use Take It Down (takeitdown.ncmec.org) to help stop sexual images of anyone under 18 from spreading.
  • Report the exploitation of a child to NCMEC’s CyberTipline at CyberTipline.org or 1-800-843-5678.
  • If your child is talking about suicide or self-harm, call or text 988, any hour.
  • If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911.

What Are Nudify Apps?

The FTC describes them as tools that let people take a clothed image of a person and remove the clothing to create nonconsensual, sexualized images.[4] Some are standalone apps or websites. The same thing can be done with general AI image generators and chatbots, which is why blocking one app doesn’t solve the problem.[1]

Kids usually run into them through friends: a link in a group chat, a classmate showing off a fake image, or ads online. With a few clicks, a realistic-looking fake can be made and spread through group chats and social media within minutes, leaving the child in it humiliated and harassed.[1]

The law is catching up quickly:

  • Making or sharing sexual images of a minor with AI is illegal. The FBI says AI-generated child sexual abuse material is treated as child sexual abuse material under federal law.[3]
  • Publishing intimate images without consent is a federal crime. The Take It Down Act covers real and AI-made images of adults and minors, and threats to publish them.[7]
  • The companies have obligations too. The FTC began enforcing the Take It Down Act on May 19, 2026, and sent warning letters to 12 nudify companies the next day for failing to give victims a way to request removal.[8][4]
  • State laws. As of September 2026, 47 states criminalize AI-generated or computer-edited child sexual abuse material. Massachusetts, Ohio, Vermont and the District of Columbia had not.[6]

If Your Child Was Targeted

Tell your child clearly that it isn’t their fault. Then:[1][5]

  1. Report it on the platform where it’s being shared, and ask for removal under the Take It Down Act.[5]
  2. Use Take It Down to help stop copies from spreading on participating platforms.[9]
  3. Report it to NCMEC’s CyberTipline.[10]
  4. Tell the school if classmates are involved, and ask how it handles AI-generated explicit images.[1]
  5. Watch how your child is coping, and get support if they seem withdrawn or hopeless.

The deepfake nudes guide covers these steps in detail, including what to say to your child.

If Your Child Made or Shared One

Some teens see these images as a joke. The FTC is clear that possessing or sharing explicit images of children can be a serious crime, even when the image is fake.[5] If your child made or forwarded one, take it seriously: make sure they stop sharing it, talk about the harm it causes the person in the picture, and find out who else has it. Because the legal stakes can be high, many families talk with the school and, when needed, a lawyer.

How to Lower the Risk

NCMEC’s advice starts with a conversation before anything happens:[1]

  • Learn how the tools work so you can talk about them without panic.
  • Start early. Explain how AI can be used responsibly and how it can be misused to hurt people.
  • Set expectations. Making or sharing a fake nude of anyone is never okay. If your child sees one, they shouldn’t save or share it, and should tell a trusted adult.
  • Keep checking in about new apps and trends.
  • Know what to do if it happens to them or a friend.

Device settings help too. On iPhone and iPad, Ask to Buy lets you approve every app your child downloads.[11] Keeping your child’s accounts private limits who can take their photos in the first place.

Take the 2-minute Online Safety Check

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a nudify app?

An app or website that uses AI to create a fake nude or sexual image from an ordinary clothed photo of a real person.[1]

Are nudify apps illegal?

Using one to make or share sexual images of a minor is illegal, and publishing intimate images without consent is a federal crime. The FTC has also warned nudify companies that they must comply with the Take It Down Act.[3][7][4]

What happens if a teen makes a fake nude of a classmate?

It can be a serious crime, even if the image is fake and even if it was meant as a joke.[5][3] Schools often discipline it as well.

How do I get a fake nude of my child removed?

Report it to the platform, which must remove it within 48 hours of a valid request. Use Take It Down and report it to NCMEC’s CyberTipline.[5][9][10]

Sources

  1. Vaughan, E. H., National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. (2026, August 11). Back-to-School Checklist: Talk About AI “Nudify” Apps.
  2. Thorn. (2025, March 3). Deepfake Nudes & Young People: Navigating a New Frontier in Technology-Facilitated Nonconsensual Sexual Abuse and Exploitation.
  3. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Complaint Center. (2024, March 29). Child Sexual Abuse Material Created by Generative AI and Similar Online Tools Is Illegal (Alert No. I-032924-PSA).
  4. Federal Trade Commission. (2026, May 20). FTC Sends Warning Letters to Companies About Compliance With the TAKE IT DOWN Act.
  5. Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. (2026, October 1). Talking With Parents and Kids About Deepfakes, Online Safety, and the Take It Down Act.
  6. Enough Abuse. (2026, September). State Laws Criminalizing AI-Generated or Computer-Edited Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
  7. TAKE IT DOWN Act, Pub. L. No. 119-12, 139 Stat. 55 (2025). Public Law 119-12.
  8. Federal Trade Commission. (2026, May 19). FTC Begins Enforcing the TAKE IT DOWN Act.
  9. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. (n.d.). Take It Down.
  10. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. (n.d.). CyberTipline.
  11. Apple Support. (2026, September 14). Approve What Your Child Can Purchase and Download With Ask to Buy.
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