Deepfakes
X takes action against fake nude photos of Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift after the NFL game in Baltimore. photo
© Nick Wass/AP/dpa
Methods that can be used to manipulate digital media such as images or videos are now widespread. Taylor Swift has now become one of the most prominent victims of deepfakes to date.
After fake pornographic photos of US pop star surfaced Taylor Swift on social media, the short message service X (formerly Twitter) has temporarily restricted searches using the artist’s name. “Our teams are in the process of removing all identified images and taking appropriate action against the accounts responsible for publishing these images,” X said in a post. Also on Monday, when searching for “Taylor Swift” on the platform, it said: “Something went wrong. Try loading it again.”
It is a temporary measure, said X division manager Joe Benarroch US media, without giving further details. However, the search still returned results with other word combinations.
According to experts, the images, faked using artificial intelligence and supposedly showing Swift in pornographic poses, appeared on social media last week – especially on X – and were clicked on en masse. Fans of the 34-year-old musician countered by flooding the short message service with real photos of the artist.
The White House was also dismayed by the deepfake images. “We are alarmed by the reports,” said spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday. Companies would have to prevent the distribution of such photos. “Sadly, we know that lax enforcement of the rules disproportionately affects women and girls,” she added. The US Congress should also take action on legislation.
Swift herself was seen watching her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs win against the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League on Sunday. Kelce, who reached the Super Bowl again with his team, kissed Swift on the lips after the game, as was also seen in photos at X.
White House Spokesperson Statement X-Post Post Jean-Pierre Report Wall Street Journal Report CNN Swift’s X Account