AI app for generating nude images from photos sparks concern in Portugal
Two Portuguese civil society organizations reported to Meta that an AI application was generating and advertising nude synthetic images created from photographs of clothed people. The app remained active on Meta platforms with no response from the company as of the report date.
What happened
Two Portuguese civil society organizations, MiudosSegurosNa.Net and Agarrados à Net, reported to Meta on Sunday that an application using artificial intelligence could generate nude images by removing clothing from photographs. The app used advertising slogans such as 'Remove her clothes. Upload a photo. Remove any person's clothes' and 'See me naked for free', directing users to a website where they could upload a clothed photo and generate a nude version.
The generated AI image was presented slightly blurred, and users needed to subscribe to the service to view or download the unblurred version, with subscription options available monthly, quarterly, annually, or for life. According to Tito de Morais, founder of MiudosSegurosNa.Net, the app remained active and advertised on Meta platforms the morning after the report was filed, with no feedback received from Meta.
Reported impact
The organizations expressed concern that Meta was approving advertising for an application that encouraged users to commit an illegal act. Tito de Morais stated that while proposals to ban minors from social media were being discussed, it was important to regulate applications like this one that affect not only children but also adults.
Index analysis
The organizations noted that a legislative proposal from the Bloco de Esquerda to criminalize such practices had recently been approved unanimously in Portugal, but the proposed amendment to the Penal Code had not yet come into force. The groups recommended that AI-generated images be required to contain a watermark or other signal identifying them as AI-produced, and that applications enabling such nudification should not be permitted at all, with producers subject to strong penalties.
Governance controls
Cristiane Miranda, co-founder of Agarrados à Net, called for governments to hold platforms accountable for approving advertising that incentivizes illegal conduct, rather than focusing solely on restricting minors' access to social media.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.