Tech Giants Under Fire: Why Apple and Google Won’t Ban X’s Deepfake Feature

A firestorm of controversy is engulfing Silicon Valley as tech leaders face accusations of hypocrisy. Following X’s (formerly Twitter) recent decision to allow non-consensual deepfake pornography—explicitly targeting Taylor Swift—critics are demanding accountability. The platform’s new feature is a blatant violation of standard App Store and Play Store developer policies regarding sexually explicit content and synthetic media.

Despite clear rules, Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai have remained silent. Critics argue that Apple and Google are displaying cowardice by failing to enforce their own guidelines against a high-profile tenant. The inaction suggests a double standard where major platforms bypass the rigid scrutiny applied to smaller apps. By allowing X to distribute non-consensual AI-generated imagery, the gatekeepers of mobile computing are complicit in a massive erosion of digital safety and user trust.