Elon Musk’s X, a social media platform, has now re-enabled searches for Taylor Swift after previously blocking users from accessing certain results due to the spread of pornographic deepfake images of the singer on the internet.

Typing the singer’s name into the website’s search bar on Tuesday yielded a typical list of tweets.

The previous day, the search yielded an error and instructed users to try again, along with the message, “Don’t worry – it’s not your fault.” However, users were able to bypass the block by enclosing the name in quotation marks.

Sexually explicit and abusive fake images of Swift began circulating widely last week on X, formerly known as Twitter, making her the most famous victim of a scourge that tech platforms and anti-abuse groups have struggled to fix.

“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, head of business operations at X, said in a statement.

Previously, he stated that the organization had implemented a “temporary measure” to halt the searches, citing an “overabundance of caution” as they prioritized safety.

One of the search phrases, “Taylor Swift AI,” was still reportedly restricted. These images of Swift were not altered in the traditional way that has caused issues for other famous individuals, but instead were generated using artificial intelligence technology that can produce new images based on written instructions.

Once the images started circulating on the internet, fans of the singer, known as “Swifties,” swiftly responded by taking action against X and using the #ProtectTaylorSwift hashtag to overwhelm it with positive pictures of the musician. A few also mentioned reporting accounts that were sharing the manipulated images.

Source: wral.com