News from the IT community on November 3rd: According to a report by Wired on November 2nd, a network involving over 400 associated domain names and applications used daily services such as pet photography, language learning, and AI fitness coaching as a cover to secretly provide deep-forged sexual violence content. Upon receiving this information, Apple immediately removed 19 related apps from its store.

Researchers have found that these applications decide whether to display normal functions or hide the interface based on information such as the user's origin and language, with the server making the decision. Apple claims that after the relevant applications passed the review process, developers replaced the web content called by the applications, implementing a "shell change after review."

As cited in a blog post by IT, this network uses Facebook and Instagram for advertising to drive traffic, and then relies on the Apple and Google app stores for distribution. Research shows that as of September this year, there were still 27 related apps available on Google Play, with a cumulative download count of over 350,000 times. Many of these apps were labeled as suitable for all age groups. Some of the promotional advertisements also contained child sexual abuse content generated by AI.

The platform has taken cleanup measures. After receiving inquiries from Wired, Apple removed 19 apps; Google had previously removed most of the affected apps but did not respond to requests for comments. Meta stated that actions were taken against 11,600 related advertising accounts, and advertising for 209 apps was prohibited on its platforms.