Meta Sues AI 'Nudify' App and Crush AI - Advertising Lawsuit

Meta Sues Creator of AI "Nudify" App, Crush AI

Meta has initiated legal action against the developers of Crush AI, a widely used artificial intelligence application designed to generate explicit imagery. The lawsuit stems from the alleged deployment of thousands of advertisements for the app across Meta’s various platforms.

Lawsuit Details and Circumvention Attempts

The legal complaint, filed in Hong Kong, accuses Joy Timeline HK, the company operating Crush AI, of deliberately attempting to bypass Meta’s advertising review procedures. Meta asserts that despite repeated removal of violating advertisements, Joy Timeline HK persistently submitted new ones.

Crush AI utilizes generative AI to create fabricated, sexually explicit depictions of individuals without their knowledge or consent. According to Alexios Mantzarlis, author of the Faked Up newsletter, over 8,000 advertisements for the app’s “AI undresser” functionality were broadcast on Meta’s platforms within the initial two weeks of 2025.

Traffic Sources and Advertising Tactics

Mantzarlis’s January report indicated that approximately 90% of Crush AI’s website traffic originated from either Facebook or Instagram. He further stated that he had reported numerous related websites to Meta for review.

The app reportedly circumvented Meta’s ad review systems by establishing a multitude of advertiser accounts and consistently altering domain names. Many of these accounts, as noted by Mantzarlis, were designated with names such as “Eraser Annyone’s Clothes” followed by numerical identifiers. Notably, Crush AI even maintained a promotional Facebook page at one point.

Broader Challenges with AI-Generated Content

The issues faced by Facebook and Instagram are not isolated. Social media platforms, including X and Meta, are grappling with the challenges of moderating AI tools and ensuring user safety, particularly for minors, as they integrate generative AI into their services.

Research indicates a significant increase in links to AI undressing applications on platforms like X and Reddit in 2024. Furthermore, millions of users on YouTube were reportedly exposed to advertisements for such apps.

Meta’s Response and New Technologies

In response to this escalating problem, Meta and TikTok have implemented bans on keyword searches related to AI nudify applications. However, complete eradication of these services from their platforms has proven difficult.

Meta has developed new technology designed to identify advertisements for AI nudify or undressing services, even in cases where the advertisements themselves do not contain explicit content. The company is also employing matching technology to expedite the removal of similar advertisements and has broadened the scope of flagged terms, phrases, and emoji.

Disrupting Networks and Information Sharing

Meta is leveraging established tactics used to dismantle networks of malicious actors to combat the networks of accounts promoting AI nudify services. Since the beginning of 2025, the company reports having disrupted four distinct networks involved in these activities.

Beyond its own platforms, Meta will begin sharing information regarding AI nudify applications through Tech Coalition’s Lantern program, a collaborative initiative involving Google, Meta, Snap, and other companies dedicated to preventing online child sexual exploitation. Over 3,800 unique URLs have been provided through this network since March.

Legislative Support

Meta has stated its continued support for legislation aimed at empowering parents to oversee and approve their teenagers’ app downloads. The company previously endorsed the US Take It Down Act and is currently collaborating with legislators to facilitate its implementation.