Taylor Swift’s name has once again become searchable on X after it was blocked due to nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfakes of the singer. On Tuesday morning, a search for the pop sensation on X produced results as normal. Over the weekend, her name could not be searched on the platform, instead returning the message “Something went wrong. Try reloading.”
“Search has been re-enabled and we will continue to be vigilant for any attempt to spread this content and will remove it if we find it,” Joe Benarroch, head of business operations at X, told The Associated Press.
However, a search for “Taylor Swift AI” remained blocked. The ability to search for the star was blocked after deepfakes, images created using artificial intelligence, had started to circulate on X on Wednesday. The images portrayed Swift as nude and in sexual scenarios.
It is not clear where those images originated from, but they included a watermark that suggests they came from a website that is known for publishing fake nude images of celebrities. The website has a section dedicated to “AI deepfake.”
Swift’s fans had taken to social media to decry the offensive images and to urge X to take action. One fan wrote, “Taylor Swift not only has to fight against men who treat her like crap, but now she also has to fight against those who produce fake porn of her.”
The singer’s lawyer also issued a statement, calling for X to take action. “The pornographic images of our client having been falsely created and posted by the hacker, appear to be a flagrant violation of Ms. Swift’s legal rights of privacy and publicity,” the statement read.