Social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, suspended searches for Taylor Swift over the weekend after explicit deepfake images of the star began circulating.
The photos, one of which amassed 47 million views before its removal, prompted X to release a statement on Friday, saying that posting non-consensual nudity on the platform is ‘strictly prohibited’.
‘This is a temporary action and done with an abundance of caution as we prioritise safety on this issue,’ Joe Benarroch, Head of Business Operations at X, said.
‘We have a zero-tolerance policy towards such content,’ the statement said. ‘Our teams are actively removing all identified images and taking appropriate actions against the accounts responsible for posting them.’
When searching for Swift on the site, a message appeared that said: ‘Something went wrong. Try reloading.’
The proliferation of deepfake technology has spiked by a whopping 550% since 2019, with a recent report finding that 99% of deepfake targets in pornography are women.
In the UK, distributing deepfake pornography was criminalised in 2023 as part of the Online Safety Act but America is still playing catch-up as it pertains to out-lawing the creation or proliferation of doctored pornographic content in virtual circles.
Naomi May is a freelance writer and editor with an emphasis on popular culture, lifestyle and politics. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard as its Fashion and Beauty Writer, working across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Acting News Editor at ELLE UK and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others.
