Recently, an artificial intelligence startup company named Ex-Human filed a lawsuit against Apple in the United States, accusing it of incorrectly removing its app without providing specific evidence and withholding approximately $500,000 in revenue. The company's apps BotifyAI and PhotifyAI were previously available on the Apple App Store, but they are still downloadable on the Google Play Store.
Ex-Human had faced controversy over its services, including inappropriate conversations involving minor characters and generating images of real people in explicit situations. Apple stated that ensuring compliance with App Store guidelines is its responsibility, but how to enforce this responsibility is often ambiguous. Ex-Human claims that Apple only mentioned "deceptive or fraudulent activities" when notifying them of the app removal, without providing any detailed evidence of violations.
Additionally, Ex-Human stated that Apple continued to withhold about $500,000 in revenue generated by their app on the App Store after removing it, which significantly affected the company's business interests. Ex-Human's business model involves "a small number of free tokens + high subscription fees," with monthly fees for regular users starting at $50, and enterprise-level packages available.
In the lawsuit, Ex-Human believes that Apple specifically targeted their app because Apple launched its own image generation feature called Image Playground, aiming to suppress competition. However, public information shows that Image Playground does not directly overlap with Ex-Human's products, and the validity of this claim remains questionable.
Notably, Ex-Human's lawsuit may be related to Apple's handling of similar cases. For example, when xAI, Elon Musk's company, faced similar controversies, Apple still allowed its app to remain on the App Store, leading to public doubts about double standards. Apple's official policy allows adult content under certain conditions, but illegal content is strictly prohibited.
Currently, Ex-Human's lawsuit has been submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. With changes in the political and regulatory environment, it remains unclear how the court will rule on Apple's interpretation of App Store review rules and the platform's responsibilities for third-party content. This lawsuit could become a complex legal and public relations battle between Apple and Ex-Human.
Key Points:
🌟 Ex-Human sued Apple for removing its app without providing specific evidence.
💰 The company claims Apple withheld approximately $500,000 in revenue, affecting its business interests.
⚖️ The case has drawn widespread attention to Apple's review standards and content responsibilities, involving complex legal and public relations dynamics.
