X blocks Taylor Swift searches as explicit deepfakes of singer go viral

X said it is ‘actively removing’ all identified images

Social media platform X – formerly Twitter – has blocked some search terms related to Taylor Swift after explicit AI-generated images of the pop singer were widely circulated online.

Searches for Swift’s name on the microblogging platform yielded the error message: “Something went wrong. Try reloading.”

“This is a temporary action and done with an abundance of caution as we prioritise safety on this issue,” X said in a statement.

The explicit content, which appears to have been made using AI, was reportedly live on X for nearly 19 hours before the account that posted the images was suspended.

The offensive images and the length of time it took X to remove the content led to widespread outrage from Swift’s fans and others who flagged the “violently misogynist” nature of the AI-generated content.

X responded nearly a day later saying it was “actively removing all identified images” and that it was taking action against accounts posting them.

Since multibillionaire and “free speech absolutist” Elon Musk bought X – then Twitter – in 2022, the company has come under scrutiny for the overhaul of its content moderation policies with several advertisers pulling out of the platform fearing their ads would be featured alongside controversial posts.

Mr Musk and X chief Linda Yaccarino have adopted a new “freedom of speech, not reach” policy for the platform that restricts circulation of some posts while refraining from deleting them.

Explicit fake images of Swift were also circulated on other platforms including Facebook and Reddit.

Searches for Swift and some related terms on Meta-owned Instagram also did not return results, instead showing a message that the search terms used were “sometimes associated with activities of dangerous organisations and individuals.”

“We’re continuing to monitor and if we identify any additional violating content we’ll remove it and take appropriate action,” a spokesperson of Facebook parent company Meta said.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the deepfake images “alarming,” adding that said social media firms must act responsibly and prevent the spread of such content on their platforms.