Swift retaliation: Fans strike back after explicit deepfakes flood X | TechCrunch
The website under scrutiny reports the alarming incident of nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfakes of Taylor Swift going viral on a platform referred to as “X.” These deepfakes garnered over 27 million views and 260,000 likes within 19 hours before the account responsible was suspended. The origin of the images is unclear, but they were linked to a site known for publishing fake nude celebrity images, specifically under the section “AI deepfake.”
The incident highlights the widespread issue of AI-generated content and misinformation online, emphasizing the slow response of platforms like X to address sexually explicit deepfakes. Despite the platform’s ban on manipulated media causing harm, it has struggled to efficiently tackle this problem. Notably, Swift’s fans initiated a mass-reporting campaign, successfully suspending accounts sharing the deepfakes, revealing the community’s proactive stance against such content.
The broader context points to the recurring challenge of deepfake technology affecting individuals, particularly women and girls, with a lack of comprehensive legislation to address nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfakes in the U.S. Representative Joe Morelle’s efforts to criminalize such content federally have faced obstacles, indicating the persistent struggle in combating the rapid spread of deepfakes despite existing platform policies. Legal expert Carrie Goldberg suggests AI technology as a viable solution for detecting and removing such content swiftly.
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