Taylor Swift Searchable On X Again Following Viral Deepfake Porn
Taylor Swift attends in the AFC Championship Game at M&T Bank Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland.
Taylor Swift is searchable on X (formerly Twitter) again. The “Anti-Hero” singer’s name was blocked over the weekend. That’s because nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfakes of her were being created and spread. Swift’s likeness was used to put the pop icon in extremely suggestive and lewd images.
One post on X that shared screenshots of the deepfake images of Swift was reportedly viewed over 47 million times. The account that shared the images was suspended, according to a New York Times report. X continued to suspend several accounts sharing the explicit images. It’s not clear where those images originated from, but they included a watermark that suggests they came from a website that is known for publishing fake nude images of celebrities. The website has a section dedicated to “AI deepfake,” NBC News reports.
Since Saturday, Swift’s name was not able to be searched on X. Instead, the platform would show the message: “Something went wrong. Try reloading.” By Tuesday (January 30), her name can be searched as normal. “Search has been re-enabled and we will continue to be vigilant for any attempt to spread this content and will remove it if we find it,” Joe Benarroch, head of business operations at X, told The Associated Press. However, when a user searches for “Taylor Swift AI,” the search results remain blocked.
How To Protect From Deepfakes
In response to the deepfakes, Swift’s fans mass-reported the images and flooded the hashtag “Taylor Swift AI” with positive messages about her. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told ABC News they are “alarmed” by the reports of Swift’s false image being circulated. Lawmakers introduced the No Artificial Intelligence Fake Replicas And Unauthorized Duplications (No AI FRAUD) Act earlier this month. The lawmakers said they hope to create a federal baseline protection against AI abuse and uphold Americans’ First Amendment rights online. According to Rep. María Elvira Salazar, the bill will punish those “using generative AI to hurt others — celebrity or not. Everyone should be entitled to their own image and voice, and my bill seeks to protect that right.” Taylor Swift has not publicly commented on the AI deepfake images, but some reports have claimed the singer is considering legal action.
These Songs Turn 5 in 2024
It is quite baffling that 2019 was five years ago! Time really does fly by, and it seems like it wasn’t that long ago that these pop songs dropped. Billie Eilish’s debut studio album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? released in March of that year, with her gorgeous vocals shining on tracks like “bury a friend,” “ilomilo,” and “i love you.” That same year, Lizzo’s third album, Cuz I Love You, was released the following month. She took radio waves by storm with bangers like “Truth Hurts,” “Tempo,” and “Juice.” Taylor Swift also released new music in 2019 with her seventh studio album, Lover. It was the singer-songwriter’s first album after her departure from Big Machine Records. The album featured such tracks as “Cruel Summer,” “Lover,” and “The Archer.” According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, it was the global best-selling studio album of 2019, with sales of 3.2 million copies.
New Perspectives and Artists
Ariana Grande’s fifth studio album, thank u, next, was released six months after her fourth studio album Sweetener. It was Grande’s most personal album recorded up to this point in her career, following the death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller and the end of her engagement to Pete Davidson. Songs like “thank u, next,” “fake smile,” and “7 rings” reflect on the artist’s personal flaws, grief and denial, as well as independence and self-empowerment. A newcomer to the pop music scene this year was Lil Nas X, who had major success the year prior with his collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus on “Old Town Road.” His EP, 7, featured the award-winning track and the remixed version. The song went 17 times platinum in the US alone, and the music video has over 1.2 billion views on YouTube.
Take a look below at five songs that turn five in 2024:
Laila Abuelhawa is the Top 40 and Hip-Hop pop culture writer for Beasley Media Group. Being with the company for over three years, Laila's fierce and fabulous red-carpet rankings have earned her a feature on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert!' Her favorite stories are those surrounding the latest in celebrity fashion, television and film rankings, and how the world reacts to major celebrity news. With a background in journalism, Laila's stories ensure accuracy and offer background information on stars that you wouldn't have otherwise known. She prides herself in covering stories that inform the public about what is currently happening and what is to come in the ever-changing, ever-evolving media landscape.
