Staff Reports
The Taylor Swift universe is in an uproar over the circulation of deepfake images of the pop singer on social media. According to NBC, these graphic poses of Swift have been viewed more than 27 million times on X. A source close to Swift, who has recently been in the spotlight for dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, expressed their outrage at the situation. They called these AI-generated images “abusive, offensive, exploitative, and done without Taylor’s consent and/or knowledge.” The source demanded that the images be removed and emphasized the need for legislation to prevent such instances in the future.
Taylor Swift 'Furious' After Graphic AI Images Go Viral, May Push for Legal Action Against Deepfake Site https://t.co/PSSNG3RHBk
— IJR (@TheIJR) January 29, 2024
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also recognized the need for action from the tech community. He stated, “I think we all benefit when the online world is a safe world. And so I don’t think anyone would want an online world that is completely not safe for both content creators and content consumers.” Nadella emphasized the importance of moving quickly to address this issue.
In response to the outcry, X has disabled its search function for Taylor Swift, ensuring that searches for her name produce no results. However, the company assured that this is only a temporary action taken to prioritize safety. The Biden White House has also taken notice of the situation, expressing their concern and emphasizing the role of social media companies in enforcing their own rules to prevent the spread of non-consensual imagery.
Democratic Rep. Joe Morelle hopes this incident will bring attention to his bill, which aims to criminalize the sharing of digitally altered explicit images without consent. His representative stated, “We’re certainly hopeful the Taylor Swift news will help spark momentum and grow support for our bill.” The swift actions and initiatives taken by various entities reflect the urgency to address deepfakes and protect individuals from the misuse of their image.
