Meta has filed a lawsuit against Hong Kong-based company Joy Timeline HK Ltd, accusing it of promoting the controversial CrushAI app through Facebook advertisements. This app, according to Meta, creates non-consensual AI-generated nude images often targeting women by altering submitted photographs. The lawsuit was initiated in Hong Kong, where the firm is based, and aims to halt further promotion of these apps across Meta’s platforms.
Meta claims Joy Timeline repeatedly violated advertising policies and attempted to bypass the platform’s ad review systems, prompting urgent legal action. In a blog post, Meta emphasized the severity of this abuse, noting their commitment to protecting users from such exploitation. The platform has already removed multiple ad networks associated with similar violations.
The rise of “nudify” apps, which use AI to generate fake explicit content, has stirred global concern. Reports by 404 Media and Cornell Tech revealed that over 8,000 CrushAI ads had appeared on Meta platforms in the first two weeks of 2025 alone. US Senator Dick Durbin even called on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to address the spread of such content, particularly in light of Meta’s own community standards around harassment and adult content.
In response, Meta has enhanced its detection systems to identify suggestive ads even without obvious nudity. New tools for content matching have been deployed to find and remove duplicate ads, and the company is now using strategies similar to those used against coordinated inauthentic behavior to dismantle networks pushing inappropriate AI content.
Additionally, Meta is sharing intelligence with other tech companies to help them protect their platforms from similar threats. This lawsuit not only seeks accountability but is also part of a broader effort to ensure online safety in the age of rapidly advancing AI technologies.
