X restores Taylor Swift search function after sexually explicit deepfakes went viral

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"We will continue to be vigilant for any attempt to spread this content and will remove it if we find it,” said Joe Benarroch, head of business operations at X.

Taylor Swift in Kansas City, Mo., on Jan. 13.Ed Zurga / AP file
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Taylor Swift’s name was searchable on X as of Tuesday morning after it was blocked over the weekend because of nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfakes of the singer.

A search for Swift on X early Tuesday pulled up results as normal, with a flurry of tweets, most about her appearance at Sunday’s AFC championship game supporting the Kansas City Chiefs.

Since Saturday, Swift’s name could not be searched on X. Instead, X returned 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, X’s head of business operations, told The Associated Press.

However, when a user searches for “Taylor Swift AI,” the results remain blocked. 

The ability to search for Swift was blocked after concerning 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’s 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.”

In response to the deepfakes, Swift’s fans mass-reported the images and flooded the hashtag “Taylor Swift AI” with positive messages about her.

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