A WIRED investigation has exposed a sprawling network of more than 400 apps and websites that masquerade as harmless AI tools but secretly offer features to generate violent, nonconsensual sexual deepfakes and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The network, linked to Chinese-language developers and a Hong Kong-registered entity called KeLing Technology Limited, has been operating for about a year, publishing dozens of apps per week and bypassing reviews on Apple's App Store and Google Play.
The apps, such as the pet-portrait app Viefur, appear ordinary at first glance—offering AI workout coaching or language lessons—but under certain conditions they load a hidden web interface that lets users create explicit images and videos using uploaded photos. Researchers found the network after tracing thousands of explicit deepfake video ads on Facebook and Instagram that led to these apps, allowing payments through Apple Pay and Google Pay.
How the deepfake apps bypass app store reviews
According to WIRED, the apps use a technique called cloaking: when downloaded, they ping a server with information like the user's location, language, and a unique identifier. The server then decides whether to show the benign content or the explicit deepfake interface. One known trigger is downloading the app after clicking an associated ad on Meta's platforms. Websites linked to the apps often show a black screen, but the URL updates with the word 'risk' and hosts a hidden layer containing dozens of pornographic deepfake templates.
Researchers from AI Forensics and Infoblox, who reverse-engineered the apps and websites, found a JavaScript bundle that lists all domains, encryption keys, and Facebook ad trackers, revealing the network's scale. The domains began appearing in late 2025, with a spike in spring 2026, and at one point about 30 new apps were registered per week. The apps include disturbing scenes such as 'bedroom rape' and 'threatening knife,' and the network has been promoted through tens of thousands of Meta ads under fake payer names.
