Taylor Swift Considers Legal Action Against Deepfakes Online
Following the widespread distribution of sexually explicit deepfakes of the artist to millions of people online, Taylor Swift is contemplating legal action.
The naked photos, made using AI, portrayed the pop singer having sex with fans and players of the Kansas City Chiefs. Since Swift began dating American football star Travis Kelce, she has been a usual presence at games.
An insider close to Swift told the Daily Mail that the singer is "furious" over the photos and is thinking about suing the porn website that hosted them.
The celebrity and the site in issue have had conflicts in the past. Reportedly, Swift threatened to sue TMZ in 2011 when the website erroneously identified her in a "leaked" nude picture.
A deepfake is a video or picture with altered or swapped out audio or faces. They often go after politicians and famous people, making them seem like they spoke or did something they never did.
More real-looking deepfakes, including more pornography with the faces of children and celebrities, have emerged due to the proliferation of easily accessible generative AI technologies.
Sharing nonconsensual intimate deepfakes is already unlawful according to the UK's massive Online Safety Bill, which became law last October.
Social media sites like Reddit, Instagram, and X (the site previously known as Twitter) also saw the distribution of the Swift AI-generated photos.
Quick to respond, Swift's devoted followers have deluged X with Swift's photos and videos, many of which use the hashtag "Taylor Swift AI" in an effort to conceal the inappropriate images.
X has made a public statement stating that it is taking action against photos that include non-consensual nudity.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy towards such content,” the company said in a tweet on Friday morning.
“Our teams are actively removing all identified images and taking appropriate actions against the accounts responsible for posting them.
“We're closely monitoring the situation to ensure that any further violations are immediately addressed, and the content is removed.”