Mainstream social media platforms are channeling millions of users to so-called nudify apps, which use AI to digitally undress people without consent. A new report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), an anti-extremism and disinformation organization, finds that YouTube and X have become the leading gateways to these tools, undermining platforms' own content moderation policies.
Referral Traffic Analysis
The ISD report, published Monday, analyzed the top 10 nudify apps and websites and how users discover them. Between December 2025 and March 2026, social networks drove more than 5.7 million visits to nudify sites. YouTube accounted for 1.82 million visits (over 30 percent of all referrals), followed by X with over 1.3 million visits, according to the study. The traffic originated from searches for keywords like "undress app" or "nudify app," leading to videos that review, promote, or provide promo codes for these tools.
Policy Enforcement Gaps
The study's authors wrote that these findings appear in "direct conflict" with YouTube's policies, which prohibit sexually explicit content. "This should logically include nudify websites or tools that generate non-consensual explicit imagery," the report states. Melanie Smith, senior director of research and policy at ISD, told WIRED: "It wasn't just that YouTube was a passive source of referral traffic. In a lot of these cases, it was facilitating the use of these tools as well." She noted that YouTube's policies also prohibit linking to or advertising sexually explicit websites, yet enforcement remains weak: "In theory that should cover nonconsensual imagery and revenge porn, or nude photo leaks, but it doesn’t seem like that’s being enforced comprehensively."
YouTube spokesperson Boot Bullwinkle responded to WIRED: "We have strict policies prohibiting content that includes unwanted sexualization, such as non-consensually shared intimate imagery." He added that the policies cover external links and "altered or synthetic content that realistically simulates nudity."
Economic Drivers and Harms
The report also examined the pricing and profitability of nudify apps. Some platforms allow users to generate explicit images for as little as $1 per image. A recent WIRED investigation estimated that these tools may collectively generate up to $36 million in revenue. Common targets include current and ex-girlfriends, as well as relatives such as sisters and cousins. Smith noted that motivations are not always sexual: "A lot of the requests were about getting people fired from jobs and compromising their livelihoods and lives in nefarious ways."
Broader Implications
| Platform | Referral Visits (Dec 2025–Mar 2026) | Share of Total Referrals |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 1.82 million | >30% |
| X | 1.3 million | ~23% |
| Other social networks | 2.58 million (estimated) | ~47% (derived) |
The findings raise questions about platform accountability and the effectiveness of AI content moderation. For enterprise technology leaders, this underscores the need for robust governance frameworks and automated detection tools to prevent the misuse of AI, especially as similar generative techniques may be applied in other business contexts. The ISD report is a reminder that policies alone are insufficient without comprehensive enforcement and investment in proactive moderation technologies.
