Due to an inundation of inappropriate AI-generated images that inundated the company earlier this year, searches for “Taylor Swift” on Twitter/X are currently yielding no search results for the singer.
Furthermore, the company is not displaying any outcomes for search queries such as “Taylor Swift skinny” or “TAYOR Swift AI,” which are commonly used to distribute unauthorized images. However, searches with more neutral terms like “Taylor Swift singer” are still generating results.
This response follows the White House’s intervention in the discussion on Friday, urging Congress to take legislative action. While social media platforms independently manage their content, it is believed that they have a crucial role in upholding regulations to prevent the dissemination of false information and non-consensual intimate images of individuals. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre expressed concern to ABC News, stating, “We are troubled by the reports of the circulation of… altered images, to be precise, and it is concerning.”
Senator Joe Morelle from New York is using the incident involving Swift’s images as a basis for advocating legislation that would criminalize the sharing of manipulated explicit images without consent.
The manipulated Swift images, which gained traction on Wednesday, were initially attempted to be taken down from X and other social media platforms. However, new fabricated images inspired by Swift emerged, complicating the situation further.
In the initial images, Swift was depicted engaging in explicit acts with Kansas City Chiefs fans while adorned in dark body paint, mocking Travis Kelce, the team’s tight end. The outcome of the critical AFC Championship game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Chiefs on Sunday will determine the team advancing to the Super Bowl.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter/X, has maintained an unusual silence on this matter, aside from addressing issues like the closure of a toy store in San Francisco due to the city’s crime concerns. Swift has not issued any statements either, although unverified reports suggest that legal action is being considered regarding the incident.
The dissemination of these images has been condemned as “disturbing, hazardous, and highly troubling” in a statement released by SAG-AFTRA on Friday.
The coalition emphasized, “The fabrication and distribution of manipulated images, especially those of a sexual nature, without consent should be deemed illegal.” While we can regulate these technologies at a national level, immediate action is imperative. SAG-AFTRA continues to support the Preventing Deepfakes of Intimate Images Act proposed by Congressman Joe Morelle to prevent similar abuses from occurring. We stand in solidarity with Taylor and all women who have faced such violations of privacy and freedom.
As a contentious presidential election season approaches, the issue of deepfakes adds to the existing concerns. Recently, there was an attempt to influence the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday using a manipulated video mocking Biden’s speech.
