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Meta sues Hong Kong firm over AI app making non-consensual explicit images

US tech giant accuses Joy Timeline HK of promoting ‘nudify’ app, with lawsuit part of Meta’s clampdown on such software

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Meta has also said it is developing new technologies to detect adverts for “nudify” apps. Photo: Reuters

Meta Platforms is seeking a court injunction to restrain a Hong Kong-based company from using social media accounts to promote an app that allegedly uses artificial intelligence to generate sexually explicit images of people without their consent.

The US technology giant filed a complaint with the District Court against Joy Timeline HK Limited on Thursday and is also seeking to claim back US$289,200 (HK$2.3 million) that it spent to investigate and remove ads the Hong Kong firm placed for its “CrushAI” app.

The app allows users to create nude or sexually explicit images of people without their consent through AI software, according to Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.

“[Meta] claims an injunction to restrain the defendant … from creating, sharing, publishing, disseminating or contributing to the publication on Facebook or Instagram any advertisements or content relating to nudity apps designed to generate AI or deepfake images containing nudity or NCII [non-consensual intimate image sharing] elements,” the complaint said.

Meta said there had been more than 87,000 such ads as of February this year, and at least 170 business accounts on Facebook and Instagram placing them.

It added that the adverts primarily targeted users in the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany and Britain.

“Meta had suffered the loss and damages totalling US$289,200,” it said in the complaint, noting the money was used to conduct an internal investigation, monitor and remove the ads, and respond to the public and law enforcement actions.

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