Meta's lawsuit against Joy Timeline HK Limited marks a significant escalation in the company's efforts to combat AI-generated explicit imagery. The legal action came after Meta repeatedly removed CrushAI's ads for violating platform policies, only to have the company circumvent detection systems by setting up dozens of advertiser accounts and frequently changing domain names1. According to research by Cornell Tech's Alexios Mantzarlis, CrushAI ran more than 8,000 ads on Meta platforms in just the first two weeks of 2025, with approximately 90% of traffic to CrushAI's websites coming from either Facebook or Instagram21.

The lawsuit follows mounting pressure from lawmakers, including a February 2025 letter from US Senator Dick Durbin to Mark Zuckerberg questioning Meta's role in allowing Joy Timeline to promote CrushAI despite violating Meta's standards on adult content and harassment23. In response, Meta has not only pursued legal action but also implemented new detection technologies specifically designed to identify these types of ads even when they don't explicitly show nudity, and has disrupted four separate networks of accounts attempting to run nudify app promotions since the beginning of the year3.

Joy Timeline HK Limited, the Hong Kong-based company behind the controversial CrushAI app, has become the target of Meta's legal action for developing technology that uses artificial intelligence to create nonconsensual sexually explicit images of people who appear clothed in original photos.12 The company's apps explicitly advertised the ability to "see anyone naked" through their AI tools, which violates Meta's policies against non-consensual intimate imagery.3

Despite Meta's repeated removal of CrushAI's advertisements, Joy Timeline persistently circumvented detection by creating multiple advertiser accounts and changing domain names.4 The company's aggressive advertising strategy proved effective, with an estimated 90% of CrushAI's traffic coming from ads placed on Meta's platforms.1 When contacted about the lawsuit, Joy Timeline did not immediately respond to requests for comment.1 Meta's lawsuit seeks to permanently prevent Joy Timeline from advertising on its platforms while sending a clear message about the seriousness of such violations.25

CrushAI's success in reaching potential users hinged almost entirely on Meta's platforms, with approximately 90% of the app's traffic originating from Facebook and Instagram advertisements.12 This dependency on Meta's ecosystem was revealed by Alexios Mantzarlis, who documented how the nudify app's websites received the vast majority of their visitors through these social media channels despite repeated policy violations.2 The app's operators employed sophisticated evasion tactics, including setting up dozens of advertiser accounts with names like "Eraser Annyone's Clothes" followed by different numbers, and constantly rotating domain names to stay ahead of Meta's content moderation efforts.13

The effectiveness of CrushAI's advertising strategy highlights a critical vulnerability in content moderation systems, where financially motivated actors can exploit the massive reach of established platforms. Between January 1-14, 2025 alone, CrushAI managed to push over 8,000 ads for its "AI undresser" services through Meta's review processes.3 This case demonstrates how problematic apps can leverage legitimate advertising infrastructure to gain significant traction before enforcement actions take effect.