Elon Musk’s X halted searches for Taylor Swift this weekend after AI-generated, sexually explicit photos of the international pop superstar went viral on the platform. This is one of the few times X has meaningfully blocked controversial content on the platform, which has largely hidden behind claims of being a “free speech” platform to let its content run wild since Musk’s takeover.
“Something went wrong,” says X when you search for “Taylor Swift” on Monday morning. “Try reloading.”
The AI-generated, nude photos of Taylor Swift started circulating on X late last week, with one post garnering over 45 million views. The posts immediately started drawing backlash from Swift’s fanbase, ultimately prompting X to block accounts sharing the content and remove the most viral posts. The White House even commented on the situation, with Biden’s Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre calling the situation “alarming.” Sometime over the weekend, users noticed that they could no longer search for Taylor Swift’s name, which signifies one of X’s most dramatic content moderation pushes since Musk’s takeover.
On Monday morning, “Swift” was a trending topic on X due to photos of the pop star appearing on the field at the AFC Championship with boyfriend Travis Kelce. Swift’s attendance at Kansas City Chiefs games has reportedly boosted ratings of NFL games this year, and she’ll likely be headed to Las Vegas on Feb. 11 to cheer on her boyfriend’s team in the Superbowl.
The convergence of Taylor Swift and Superbowl 58 is shaping up to be the most viral event of the new year, giving X a two-week timeline to make sure her AI-porn photos aren’t still circulating by then.
A representative for X did not immediately respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment.
Musk’s social media platform has been consumed by a content moderation scandal in recent months, as a rise in anti-Semitism and white supremacy on the platform has driven away advertisers. Musk has even played a role in leading that movement, by endorsing and sharing controversial opinions, defending that X should be a town square that promotes free speech.
Even in the face of stark criticism, X has been reluctant to moderate its content too harshly. However, the backlash from Taylor Swift’s army of fans has proved too much for the platform to hold its free speech stance any longer. The decision to limit searches around Taylor Swift AI dupes marks one of the more notable instances of true content moderation.
The actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, spoke out against Taylor Swift’s AI-generated pornographic images on Friday, saying the content should be illegal if created without someone’s consent. Swift herself is reportedly “furious” about the situation. As AI image generators get increasingly realistic, revenge porn made with the tools is quickly becoming a huge area of concern.
X has written policies against “non-consensual nudity” as well as “synthetic and manipulated media,” both of which categorically include Swift AI porn. The platform has a no-nonsense policy against this type of media, and X appears to be acting in accordance with its previously stated guidelines.
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