Social media platform X decided to block searches for Taylor Swift a few days after the site was flooded with obscene and fake images of the singer, digitally produced with the help of AI. After the decision, when users searched for the world-famous pop star’s name on the site, they were greeted with the message “Posts cannot be loaded at this time. Try again later.”
“This is a temporary action and we are implementing the decision very carefully because we prioritize security,” Joe Benarroch, X’s director of business operations, said in response to questions about Swift calls on Saturday.
Fan groups immediately mobilized
Obscene fake images of Swift began circulating on X last Wednesday, with Swifties flooding the platform with real photos of the singer. Swifties also actively complained about the accounts spreading the fake images, forcing X to take stronger steps to delete the fake photos. The slogan “Protect Taylor Swift” trended on the site.
A day later, most of the accounts that fans had complained about were suspended or otherwise restricted. However, it was still possible to access the images through other accounts.
In an online statement later in the day, X said it was banning the sharing of non-consensual sexually explicit images and would enforce a “zero tolerance policy” for such content. The statement did not mention Swift by name:
Our teams are actively removing all identified images and taking appropriate action against the accounts responsible for posting them. We closely monitor the situation to ensure that any further violations are addressed immediately and the content removed.
Advances in generative artificial intelligence have made the creation of digitally altered fake pornography easier and more accessible.
After Elon Musk bought Twitter in late 2022, many of the content moderation rules were relaxed and the company laid off thousands of people across the company, citing that it was necessary to stabilize its finances.
