What Are ‘Nudification’ Apps – and What Do Parents Need to Know?

You might hear about them through a news story, another concerned parent, or even directly from your child. 

Nudification apps are tools that use artificial intelligence (AI) to digitally remove clothing from photos, creating fake nude images.

These apps are often used without the subject’s consent. While the images are fake, the emotional harm, reputational impact and sense of violation can be very real. Young people may come across them out of curiosity, by accident, or due to peer pressure — and some may even be targeted.

So what do you need to know about these apps – and what should you do as a parent?

How do nudification apps work?

Nudification apps use artificial intelligence to alter photos — usually of women or girls — to make it appear as though they are naked. These manipulated images often look convincingly real, particularly when shared in low-resolution formats like social media posts or private group chats.

The process usually involves uploading a photo (for example, a selfie or a social media picture) to a website or app. The app then generates a fake “nude” version. The person in the original photo may never even know this has happened — until the image is shared or shown to others.

Where are young people seeing these apps?

These apps tend to circulate through:

• Private group chats
• Online forums and gaming servers like Discord
• TikTok or Instagram videos promoting or joking about the apps
• Influencer content or links shared by peers
• Pornographic websites
• Online ads or pop-ups, especially on unmoderated sites

Even if removed from app stores, nudification tools often reappear under new names or on shady platforms – meaning they’re never gone for long.

How are they harmful?

Nudification apps can be used in many ways that can cause harm to the user or for other people. For example: 

• They can be used to bully or humiliate someone — often targeting girls and young women. This can cause serious emotional harm, leading to anxiety, shame, or withdrawal from social life.
• They promote non-consensual behaviour, where someone’s image is misused without permission.
• Creating, possessing or sharing sexualised images of anyone under 18 — even if fake or AI-generated — is a criminal offence in the UK.

How to address nudification apps with your child

Talking about this topic can feel awkward or upsetting for both of you. But your child needs your support, reassurance and guidance to navigate what they’re seeing online - as well as understanding the law. Here are some strategies to help.

1. Be open to talk

Timing matters. It’s best to avoid bringing up a sensitive topic when your child is stressed, distracted, or in a rush.

Look for a calm, quiet moment — perhaps during a walk, a car journey or while doing something together like cooking. You might start with a simple prompt like, “Have you ever heard of apps that can change photos to make people look like they’re not wearing clothes?”

Using something you’ve seen in the news or a conversation that came up at school can be a helpful way in.

Let your child know they can come to you if anything makes them feel uncomfortable, worried or unsafe — without fear of blame or punishment.

2. Stay calm

If your child tells you they’ve seen images created with nudification apps – or even experimented with an app themselves – you may feel upset, alarmed or angry. That’s completely understandable.

Try not to react with panic or judgment. Your calm response sends a message that it’s safe to talk to you — even about difficult things. Reassure them that you’re glad they’ve come to you and that you’ll work through it together.

3. Explain simply and clearly

You don’t need to get into all the technical details — but it’s helpful to make sure your child understands what these apps do and why they’re harmful. You should also make them aware that creating and sharing nude images of under-18s is against the law – even if the images are AI generated.

For younger children, you might say: “Some apps can change photos to make it look like someone isn’t wearing clothes. They’re not real, but they can be really upsetting for the person in the picture.”

For older children or teens: “These apps use AI to create fake nude images — and people sometimes share them to embarrass or shame others. That’s really serious, and illegal.”

4. Talk about respect and digital empathy

Rather than just saying “don’t use this”, help your child think about how they treat others online — and how they’d like to be treated themselves.

Ask open-ended questions like, “What do you think it would be like if this happened to someone in your year group?”” or “What would you do if you saw someone sharing one of these images?”

These questions can help your child to see people in images as real individuals, with real feelings — not just faces on a screen. It also opens up space to talk about consent, kindness, and standing up for others.

5. Help them share carefully

It’s impossible to prevent every risk, but there are practical things you can do together:

Talk about trust — even with friends, once an image is shared, it can be hard to control where it ends up

Review privacy settings on social media to prevent unwanted people from exploiting their images. 

Encourage a ‘pause before posting’ mindset, especially with selfies.

Further support

If your child has been affected by nudification or image-based abuse, you don’t have to deal with it alone. 

• Report Remove (by IWF and Childline) – helps under-18s remove non-consensual images of themselves
  Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) – to report sexual images of children online
• CEOP – for more information and how to report non-consensual nude image sharing
• Childline – free, confidential support for children (0800 1111)