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ARTICLE AD BOX
AI startup Ex-Human is suing Apple for removing its apps, Botify AI and Photify AI, from the App Store. The company claims that the wrongful takedown resulted in $500,000 in lost revenue.
Apple has delayed artificial-intelligence updates to Siri, its digital assistant. Photographer: Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg(Bloomberg)AI startup Ex-Human is suing Apple over the removal of its two apps, Botify AI and Photify AI, from the company's App Store. According to a report by the San Francisco Business Times (via Apple Insider), the AI startup has accused Apple of wrongfully taking down its apps and allegedly costing it $500,000 in revenue.
The company's two AI apps are still available on the Google Play Store, and it also licenses its API to partners like Grindr. Moreover, Ex-Human also claims that its AI has more interaction time per user than the likes of DeepSeek and ChatGPT.
Why is Apple getting sued?
In the complaint, Ex-Human claims that Apple's removal notice from the App Store only cited "dishonest or fraudulent activity" without providing specific evidence of the alleged violations. The startup also alleged that Apple specifically targeted Ex-Human's AI apps because it wants to suppress competition for its own Image Playground feature.
“Apple has not identified any particular transactions, user activity or application behavior that formed the basis of its determination,” the lawsuit states.
Reportedly, the apps were removed from the App Store following a report published by MIT Technology Review, which noted chatbots hosted by Botify AI that claimed to be under 18 were offering sexually explicit content.
Ex-Human reportedly responded to the MIT report by stating that the bots in question had not been properly filtered by the moderation systems. However, the report noted that these specific bots were promoted on the app's front page and amassed millions of likes before being taken down.
Meanwhile, the Photify AI app was reportedly in controversy for allowing users to generate images of real people wearing revealing outfits without their consent.
As per a 9to5Mac report citing San Francisco Business Times, Ex-Human argues that the App Store business development team had in the past classified the company as a ‘high-growth developer’. The company also reportedly says that while Botify had a monthly revenue of around $3,30,000, Photify AI had a revenue of around $1,00,000 per month.
Apple's takedown of AI apps:
Earlier this week, a report by The Information had also revealed that Apple is cracking down on vibe-coded apps and was pulling ‘Anything’ from the App Store. The company had been blocking updates to the app since December last year and finally decided to take it down this month.
Apple reportedly cited the self-containment rule from its App Review Guidelines to remove the AI-generated app.
About the Author
Aman Gupta
Aman Gupta is a Digital Content Producer at LiveMint with over 3.5 years of experience covering the technology landscape. He specializes in artificial intelligence and consumer technology, reporting on everything from the ethical debates around AI models to shifts in the smartphone market. <br> His reporting is grounded in first-hand testing, independent analysis, and a focus on how technology impacts everyday users. He holds a PG Diploma in Radio and Television Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi (Class of 2022). <br> Outside the newsroom, he spends his time reading biographies, hunting for the perfect coffee beans, or planning his next trip. <br><br> You can find Aman on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aman-gupta-894180214">LinkedIn</a> and on X at <a href="https://x.com/nobugsfound">@nobugsfound</a>, or reach him via email at <a href="aman.gupta@htdigital.in">aman.gupta@htdigital.in</a>.
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