The social media platform X has taken the step to block users from searching for Taylor Swift following the widespread circulation of fake sexually explicit images of the pop singer on social media. On Sunday, attempts to search for Swift’s name on the platform resulted in an error message, “Something went wrong. Try reloading.”
Joe Benarroch, Head of Business Operations at X, explained that this action is temporary and has been implemented with an abundance of caution, with a primary focus on ensuring safety.
In 2023, Taylor Swift was honored as Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” in recognition of her record-breaking global tour and her status as the world’s most-streamed musical artist.
The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, expressed alarm over the circulation of fake images on Friday and emphasized the responsibility of social media companies to combat the spread of such misinformation. She noted that the lax enforcement against false images, possibly generated by artificial intelligence (AI), disproportionately impacts women.
One of the fake images of Swift shared on X garnered 47 million views before the account responsible was suspended, according to a report by The New York Times.
Since billionaire Elon Musk acquired Twitter in 2022, he has faced criticism for his own controversial posts and his efforts to revamp the platform’s content moderation policies. Many advertisers on the platform have reduced their spending due to concerns about being associated with harmful content.
X has emphasized that the vast majority of content views are related to “healthy” posts. Musk and X CEO Linda Yaccarino have introduced a new policy called “freedom of speech, not reach,” which limits the distribution of certain posts while refraining from outright deletion.
These search restrictions have emerged ahead of a 3 pm EST National Football League (NFL) playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, an event Swift is expected to attend. Broadcasts of Chiefs games frequently capture Swift’s reactions.
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