AIster · The model wars · Culture
Fake explicit images of Taylor Swift spread on X
A wave of deepfakes aimed at a pop star pushes US lawmakers to act
Key facts
- Date
- 24–29 Jan 2024
- Era
- The model wars
- Interest
- Culture
- Threads
- Safety & governance
- Reach
- One image seen 47 million times in roughly 17 hours on X
- Response
- A temporary block on searches for her name
- Bill
- DEFIANCE Act, letting victims sue over nonconsensual sexual deepfakes
- Law
- Take It Down Act signed 19 May 2025; platforms must remove such images within 48 hours of notice
In late January 2024 sexually explicit AI-generated images of Taylor Swift spread across X; one was seen 47 million times in about 17 hours before it came down. X temporarily blocked searches for her name, the White House said it was alarmed, and on 30 January senators introduced the DEFIANCE Act, a bill to let victims sue. In May 2025 the Take It Down Act became law.
Sources
- Office of Senator Dick Durbin, Durbin, Graham, Klobuchar, Hawley Introduce DEFIANCE Act to Hold Accountable Those Responsible for the Proliferation of Nonconsensual, Sexually-Explicit "Deepfake" Images and Videos, 2024-01-30
- Al Jazeera, X blocks Taylor Swift searches: What to know about the viral AI deepfakes, 2024-01-29
- The White House, ICYMI: President Trump Signs TAKE IT DOWN Act into Law, 2025-05-19