<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia's internet watchdog has launched a major crackdown on a popular AI "nudifying" service, giving the platform's operators a 14-day deadline to block children from accessing its explicit content.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The eSafety Commissioner has issued a formal Direction to Comply to the Argentina-based provider, which allows users to upload photos of real people and generate on-demand, sexually explicit deepfakes. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Despite being headquartered overseas, the platform attracts nearly 40,000 Australian visits per month following a sharp surge in local traffic over the past 6 months.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australian-alcohol-market-dodgy-booze-finding-its-way-into-bottle-shops/ab158d2c-d6c7-45c2-9dbb-39a65de47bf3" rel="" target="" title="Contaminated booze that killed Melbourne teens found in Australian liquor stores"><strong><span>Contaminated booze that killed Melbourne teens found in Australian liquor stores</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The enforcement action marks the first time the regulator has used its powers under new age-restricted codes, which came into force in March. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The codes require platforms to restrict children from accessing pornography, high-impact violence, and content promoting self-harm.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the platform posed unacceptable risks to both minors and adults, enabling high-impact cyberbullying, sexual extortion, and image-based sexual abuse.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/australian-watchdog-takes-action-against-viral-ai-nudify-site/2f754c13-fe4c-424a-8634-3e45bfcaee34" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The popularity of this 'nudify' platform and the ease of which children can access it is deeply concerning," Grant said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"These are services that enable the creation of sexually explicit content involving real people, and are extremely caustic to adults (mostly women) but also pose an unacceptable risk to children."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I like many others struggle to see a positive use case for such services as it is, and services like these demonstrates where AI is causing irreparable harms today."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The watchdog has deliberately chosen not to name the service to avoid inadvertently promoting it or driving further traffic to the site.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>According to eSafety, regulators attempted to engage with the Argentine provider shortly after the new codes came into effect to ensure appropriate safeguards were put in place. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, the company failed to respond and refused to commit to improving protections for Australian children, prompting the formal escalation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The company now has 14 days to implement robust age-verification measures and comply with Australian law. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>If it fails to meet the deadline, eSafety can pursue civil penalties of up to $49.5 million and issue delisting notices to search engines to effectively block access to the site from within Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Grant warned that tech providers profiting from Australian users would be held accountable regardless of where they are physically based.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We have been clear with industry about the need to put safeguards in place under the Age-Restricted Material Codes which they themselves drafted," she said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"As this action demonstrates, for those companies that refuse to engage or fail to act, we will not hesitate to use our enforcement powers."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This is not the first time the regulator has targeted deepfake generation tools. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In late 2025, eSafety action forced three other widely used nudify services to withdraw from the Australian market after they were used to generate child sexual exploitation material in schools. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Those services have since relaunched under new ownership with mandatory age assurance requirements.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The regulatory push comes as the Australian Government moves to outlaw the technology entirely. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In September last year, the government announced intentions to legislate a total ban on "nudifying" services to prevent the non-consensual generation of sexually explicit material.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" 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