Swifties currently experience difficulties when attempting to find information about Taylor Swift on X. The social media platform restricts users from searching for the popular pop star. Instead of retrieving relevant results, users who input Swift’s name on X, previously known as Online, are met with the message “Things went bad. Consider reloading.” Additionally, at the bottom of the search page, another message states, “Something went wrong, but don’t fret– it’s not your fault.”
The reasons behind these error messages remain unclear. In response to an inquiry, X provided an auto-reply stating, “Busy then, please check up later,” rather than addressing the issue directly.
The glitch in X’s search functionality emerged shortly after AI-generated images of Taylor Swift circulated on the platform earlier in the week. The actors’ union SAG-AFTRA, to which Swift belongs, swiftly denounced the dissemination of these fabricated images as “deeply concerning.” It took nearly 24 hours for the platform to remove the unauthorized images.
The unauthorized dissemination of sexually explicit AI-generated images of Taylor Swift is alarming and poses significant risks. SAG-AFTRA emphasized the urgent need to outlaw the creation and distribution of such falsified content, particularly of a sexual nature, without consent. The organization advocates for the enactment of the Preventing Deepfakes of Intimate Images Act, proposed by U.S. Rep. Joe Morelle, to prevent similar violations in the future. SAG-AFTRA stands in solidarity with Taylor Swift and all women whose privacy and autonomy have been violated in this manner.
The connection between the unavailability of Taylor Swift’s information on X and the recent incident involving AI-generated images remains uncertain. Neither X CEO Elon Musk nor Taylor Swift has publicly addressed the situation.
