Chub (also known as Character Hub, Chub AI), an AI roleplay platform and a prominent hub in the AI roleplay scene, faces yet another battle in its journey to provide uncensored generative AI for everyone.
Earlier this month, PayPal froze Chub’s account, and now Apple has removed Chub’s app from its App Store.
Apple Removes Chub’s App
According to Lore, one of the developers of Chub, Apple removed Chub’s app from its App Store because its LLM could generate adult content, even though the app was labeled as adult-only (18+).
Lore further clarified that users could only generate adult content through Chub’s LLM, as its AI image generation has never been able to produce nudity.
The stated reason for removal was that the LLM was capable of generating adult content.
Lore, Chub’s Developer, in a statement to RPWithAI.
Apple had previously suspended Chub’s app due to user-generated adult content, even though the app never displayed any NSFW (Not Safe For Work) images. The “adult content” Apple mentioned consisted of characters created by users (i.e., words defining a character) for other users to roleplay with.
After their initial suspension, Chub’s developers had to restrict NSFW characters from appearing in their app. They made their iOS app much more restrictive than their website to comply with Apple App Store guidelines.
Compliance Didn’t Matter
Apple’s aggressive enforcement of its App Store guidelines specifically against Chub pressured its developers to comply and heavily restrict their app. But ultimately, their compliance made no difference.
It seems more like an excuse for targeting us than a reason, as there are dozens of apps put out by far larger companies than us that have no such restrictions. We had already been forced to make the iOS version far more restrictive towards user-generated content than any social media app, for example.
Lore, Chub’s Developer, in a statement to RPWithAI.
Apple doesn’t enforce its App Store guidelines as aggressively on other apps that allow user-generated content, especially social media platforms like Reddit and X.
I doubt this [Chub’s app removal] will noticeably affect larger companies that currently allow similar and worse content, as platforms tend to suddenly not care about these things for any company worth a billion or more. It’s always just a pretext for crushing anything new. It’s the privatized version of regulatory capture.
Lore, Chub’s Developer, in a statement to RPWithAI.
xAI’s Grok Companions can generate adult content, even with Ani’s spicy mode temporarily disabled, and the app is accessible to users aged 12 and up. CHAI, another generative AI app, uses an LLM capable of generating adult content, and many users often use CHAI for erotic roleplay. Although it has basic filters for certain topics, users can easily bypass these filters with a few retries and custom instructions.
Spicychat AI and Chattee also use an LLM capable of generating adult content, but these apps take it a step further by requiring users to spend money on “gems” or “hearts” to access adult content.
Moral Policing And External Pressure
Because of Chub’s “anything goes as long as it’s not illegal” policy, it has attracted moral policing groups similar to Collective Shout, which target any platform Chub works with to disrupt its operations.
Yes, we have a small collection of competitors and armchair activists that regularly harass any platform we do business with.
Lore, Chub’s Developer, in a statement to RPWithAI.
Disruptive activities from these individuals and groups make operating the platform challenging. However, Chub’s developers have stood firmly behind their beliefs and policies, refusing to bend the knee to external pressure.
Apple’s aggressive enforcement might stem from individuals or groups trying to disrupt Chub. Instead of censoring content generated by its LLM, Chub chose to accept the removal of its app from the Apple App Store.
