Taylor Swift Searchable On X Again Following Viral Deepfake Porn

Taylor Swift is searchable on X (formerly Twitter) again. The "Anti-Hero" singer's name was blocked over the weekend. That's because nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfakes of her were being created and spread. Swift's likeness was used to put the pop icon in extremely suggestive and lewd images.

One post on X that shared screenshots of the deepfake images of Swift was reportedly viewed over 47 million times. The account that shared the images was suspended, according to a New York Times report. X continued to suspend several accounts sharing the explicit images. 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,” NBC News reports.

Since Saturday, Swift’s name was not able to be searched on X. Instead, the platform would show the message: “Something went wrong. Try reloading." By Tuesday (January 30), her name can be searched as normal. “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, told The Associated Press. However, when a user searches for “Taylor Swift AI,” the search results remain blocked.

In response to the deepfakes, Swift’s fans mass-reported the images and flooded the hashtag “Taylor Swift AI” with positive messages about her. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told ABC News they are "alarmed" by the reports of Swift's false image being circulated. Lawmakers introduced the No Artificial Intelligence Fake Replicas And Unauthorized Duplications (No AI FRAUD) Act earlier this month. The lawmakers said they hope to create a federal baseline protection against AI abuse and uphold Americans' First Amendment rights online. According to Rep. María Elvira Salazar, the bill will punish those "using generative AI to hurt others — celebrity or not. Everyone should be entitled to their own image and voice, and my bill seeks to protect that right." Taylor Swift has not publicly commented on the AI deepfake images, but some reports have claimed the singer is considering legal action.

It is quite baffling that 2019 was five years ago! Time really does fly by, and it seems like it wasn't that long ago that these pop songs dropped. Billie Eilish's debut studio album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? released in March of that year, with her gorgeous vocals shining on tracks like "bury a friend," "ilomilo," and "i love you." That same year, Lizzo's third album, Cuz I Love You, was released the following month. She took radio waves by storm with bangers like "Truth Hurts," "Tempo," and "Juice." Taylor Swift also released new music in 2019 with her seventh studio album, Lover. It was the singer-songwriter's first album after her departure from Big Machine Records. The album featured such tracks as "Cruel Summer," "Lover," and "The Archer." According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, it was the global best-selling studio album of 2019, with sales of 3.2 million copies.

Ariana Grande's fifth studio album, thank u, next, was released six months after her fourth studio album Sweetener. It was Grande's most personal album recorded up to this point in her career, following the death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller and the end of her engagement to Pete Davidson. Songs like "thank u, next," "fake smile," and "7 rings" reflect on the artist's personal flaws, grief and denial, as well as independence and self-empowerment. A newcomer to the pop music scene this year was Lil Nas X, who had major success the year prior with his collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus on "Old Town Road." His EP, 7, featured the award-winning track and the remixed version. The song went 17 times platinum in the US alone, and the music video has over 1.2 billion views on YouTube.

Take a look below at five songs that turn five in 2024:

We love this synth-pop track, with dark and violent lyrics Eilish sings so well from the perspective of a monster under someone's bed. She said, "Anything could be the monster — it could be someone you love so much that it’s taking over your life. I think love and terror and hatred are all the same thing." And yeah, we know "bad guy" is on that album and yes, that's a classic too. Don't come at us! We just love "bury a friend." 

Besides Lil Nas X's 2021 track, "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)," all his versions of "Old Town Road" continue to have classic status. The song initially gained popularity on TikTok and later that year, was certified diamond by the RIAA for selling ten million units in the US, making it the fastest song to be certified diamond.

The title track is so timeless and it will surely be played at weddings for years to come. Swift said while recording, she imagined the production to sound like "just the last two people on a dance floor at 3 a.m. swaying." The music video is just as romantic, but with a playful idea of Swift and her lover living the ups and downs of their life within a dollhouse.

In this iconic pop R&B track, Ariana sees a guy at a club and is attracted to him, only to realize that he has a girlfriend who looks just like her -- high ponytail and all. By lingering as a third wheel to the couple, he keeps looking back at Ariana. But by the end, she pushes him away and goes for his girlfriend. The video's climax was seen as "queerbating" by some, but her choosing her lookalike insinuates she would rather love herself.

Lizzo's funky pop song was the lead single from Cuz I Love You. The self-esteem empowering track has an equally fun and empowering music video showcasing Lizzo's self-love. In the video, the singer takes part in an '80s-style workout program, late-night talk show, and selling products on an infomercial.