Mainstream social media platforms, led by YouTube and X, are directing millions of users to AI-powered “nudify” services that generate non-consensual explicit images, according to a new report by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD).
The report found that social media platforms generated more than 5.7 million visits to nudify websites between December 2025 and March 2026, challenging the perception that such services exist mainly on the fringes of the internet.
YouTube accounted for more than 30% of referral traffic, or about 1.82 million visits, while Elon Musk-owned X generated more than 1.3 million visits, making it the second-largest source of traffic.
Researchers said searches using terms such as “nudify app” and “undress app” on major social media platforms returned videos promoting the services, including tutorials, reviews and links offering promotional credits.
Most nudify platforms use generative AI to create realistic but fake nude images from ordinary photographs without the subject’s consent.
The report also found that many of the services charge as little as $1 per generated image, yet collectively generate tens of millions of dollars annually.
ISD researchers warned that the findings expose weaknesses in content moderation systems designed to prevent the spread of non-consensual intimate imagery.
“This should logically include nudify websites or tools that generate nonconsensual explicit imagery. However, content violating these policies was easily discoverable and accessible on the platform, effectively turning it into a gateway to nudify websites,” the report said of YouTube.
Melanie Smith, ISD’s Senior Director of Research and Policy, said YouTube was not merely a passive source of traffic but actively facilitated access to the tools through promotional content.
The report found that users frequently targeted current or former romantic partners, friends and family members, while motivations often extended beyond sexual exploitation to harassment, reputational damage and attempts to harm victims professionally.
Responding to the report, YouTube said it maintains strict policies prohibiting unwanted sexualisation, including synthetic or AI-generated nudity, and said those policies also apply to links directing users to external websites.
The findings add to growing concerns about the misuse of generative AI to create non-consensual explicit content and the effectiveness of existing safeguards on major online platforms.
