Undressing apps: Dutch government should act now
Free online AI tools can generate fake images, including nude images of people. In an op-ed in 'Trouw' newspaper, Bart Custers, Professor of Law & Data Science, says the Dutch government should act ahead of the EU's intended ban on this practice.
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 the victims, who also include celebrities.
Broad consensus exists 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 claims the Dutch approach remains far too passive. Rather than waiting for EU regulation, the government should be adopting a proactive stance now. He also argues that 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.
Read on the Trouw website and see the NOS website for more information about the proposed ban on these undressing apps (in Dutch).