Explicit Deepfake Images of Taylor Swift Trigger the Call for New Laws Around Fake Photos

The superstar has recently fallen victim to AI technology in late January, as internet users used AI technology to create deepfakes of her in the nude. These photos then went viral nearly instantly, flooding fan and social media sites. Here’s what we know.

There have been no compromising photos of the star that have been leaked at the time of this publication — and any photos that appeared to be compromising were either deepfakes or doctored images.

The response to the deepfakes was so overwhelming that X had to limit the search results and search abilities for certain keywords (such as Taylor Swift).

BBC notes that X stated that they were “closely monitoring the situation to ensure that any further violations [were] immediately addressed and that the content [would be] removed.”

Joe Morelle, a U.S. Representative, went on record with BBC saying that the spread rates of the images were “appalling.” Fans echoed their disapproval in an attempt to protect the singer.

At the time of this publication, many of the images have been removed. However, some of them have been screenshotted, reposted, and re-circulated — and may continue to be for quite some time.

In a deepfake, elements of an original clip or image (like someone’s face) are manipulated and used to create the rest of the “missing” pieces. In this case, the “missing piece” was a nude body.

While doctored images still happened prior to the popularization of AI, they were far less sophisticated.

Due to the current vacuum in legislation, many states have begun to call for action on the matter; encouraging law creation at both the state and federal levels.

Per BBC, the United Kingdom made deepfake pornography an illegal offense — formalizing the statute in the Online Safety Act of 2023.

This has become a rising concern in the e-sphere, as minors, children, and unwitting participants could be affected without their knowledge.

The Daily Mail has noted that her team may choose to take action against the origin site that the deepfake images came from, attempting to prompt further action in Congress.