One image, shared on X (formerly Twitter), gained massive traction, amassing 47 million views before the account responsible was suspended.
The White House expressed deep concern on Friday over the proliferation of fake sexually explicit images of pop singer Taylor Swift circulating on social media platforms.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed the issue in a news briefing, emphasizing the alarming nature of the situation. Jean-Pierre called for social media companies to play a crucial role in enforcing their own rules to combat the spread of misinformation, particularly when it involves non-consensual, intimate imagery. She suggested that Congress should consider legislative action to address this concerning trend.
The lax enforcement against false images, possibly generated by artificial intelligence (AI), was noted as a significant concern, with Jean-Pierre highlighting that such practices disproportionately impact women. The White House aims to address the issue and urged social media platforms to take proactive measures.
In the aftermath of the deepfake scandal involving Taylor Swift, her name is currently unsearchable on X, indicating a potential response to the explicit and falsified content that recently went viral. Users attempting to search for Taylor Swift are greeted with a message stating, “Something went wrong. Try reloading.”
X, in a statement released on Friday, addressed the deepfake incident, asserting a zero-tolerance policy towards posting Non-Consensual Nudity (NCN) images. The company acknowledged actively removing identified images and taking appropriate actions against the responsible accounts. The sexually explicit deepfake images, allegedly created using AI, garnered over 27 million views in just 19 hours before X suspended the account responsible.
Swift’s supporters responded by flooding the platform with positive images of the pop star, using the hashtag #ProtectTaylorSwift. Some users commended X’s decision to make Swift’s name unsearchable, considering it a crucial step in safeguarding her from further harm.
The White House, echoing public concerns, expressed alarm over the incident. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, in an interview with ABC News, emphasized the need for legislative action by Congress to address the growing threat of deepfake content online.
