In response to a recent surge of AI-generated fake images of Taylor Swift being shared on the platform, X (formerly known as Twitter) appears to have implemented a block on searches related to the world-famous recording artist. Currently, when searching for "Taylor Swift" or "Taylor Swift AI" on X, users may encounter a "Something went wrong" message. Following a mention by Casey Newton from Platformer, we conducted additional searches and discovered that X's attempt to block searches for illicit AI-generated images of Swift seems to have limited effect. By applying minimal effort and trying alternative search terms such as "Taylor AI Swift" or using quotation marks around her name, users can successfully bypass the block. Adding an extra word to the search terms also yields results. It should be noted that images are still visible under the Media tab, although no explicit images were observed during our investigation. X released a statement nearly a day after the appearance of these images, stating that they are actively removing all identified images and taking action against the accounts responsible for posting them.

The platform explicitly prohibits non-consensual nudity as well as synthetic and manipulated media. Meanwhile, both Threads and Instagram suggest "Taylor Swift AI" when users begin typing "Taylor" into their search boxes, but neither platform appears to display any results, instead showing a message warning about the association of the term "with activities of dangerous organizations and individuals. " There have been reports that Swift is considering legal action against the websites hosting the images, which users claim were created using Microsoft Designer. Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, expressed concern about deepfakes, calling them "alarming and terrible" in an interview with NBC Nightly News and emphasizing the need for AI companies to act swiftly and establish stronger safeguards. White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, also weighed in, urging Congress to create legislation to protect individuals from deepfake pornography. When asked whether Taylor Swift's name is intentionally being blocked, X responded to our inquiry with an automated email reply. This message is brought to you by our sponsor.