Bart Custers in Trouw on undressing apps
Numerous free online AI tools are available that can be used to generate fake images. Many of these tools also allow users to create nude images of celebrities as well as of people from their immediate social circle. The European Union intends to ban such practices, but according to Bart Custers, Professor of Law & Data Science at eLaw, the Center for Law and Digital Technologies, there is no need to wait for Europe. He stated this in Trouw on April 9, 2026.
Undressing apps such as Grok, Nudify, Undress, and Clothesoff attract millions of visits each month. The resulting fake nude images can be extremely harmful. Beyond reputational damage, victims may experience long-term psychological effects, including anxiety disorders, stress-related complaints, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and even suicidal thoughts. Although it is often evident that these images are fabricated, this does little to mitigate the harm suffered by victims.
There appears to be broad consensus that undressing apps should be banned. Indeed, only last month a Dutch court imposed an injunction and a penalty payment on Grok, one of these applications. However, Custers argues that the Dutch approach remains far too passive. Rather than waiting for European regulation, the government should take a proactive stance. Moreover, even if a ban is introduced—which is likely to be easily circumvented—broader reflection is needed on the regulation of AI tools that generate hateful, discriminatory, inflammatory, anti-democratic, or otherwise subversive content.
The article can be read on the Trouw website. See the NOS website for more information about the ban on these undressing apps.