Taylor Swift Faces Deepfake Attack Campaigns
Pop sensation Taylor Swift has found herself at the center of a troubling deepfake campaign on social media. These digitally manipulated videos and images falsely depict Swift as a supporter of Donald Trump and an advocate of election fraud claims. This unsettling wave of fake media follows a previous scandal involving fake nude images of Swift, which also went viral on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Viral Deepfakes on X
The manipulated media showing Swift with pro-Trump messages has gained significant traction on X, drawing millions of views. One of the most notable deepfakes uses footage from Swift’s appearance at the Grammys, altered to show her holding signs with slogans like “Trump won” and “Democrats cheated!” This video alone has amassed over 10.3 million views. While the original post includes a community note clarifying that the video is edited, many of its reposts lack this crucial warning.
NBC News discovered 13 other posts featuring the fake video, with eight lacking any labels indicating the content was manipulated. One unlabeled post had over 72,000 views. Despite seeming to violate X’s policies on manipulated media, these videos remained accessible without the necessary warnings until further review.
X’s Response to the Issue
In response to the controversy, an X representative stated, “The team was made aware of this AI-generated video and we took action on almost 100 posts on February 4, 2024, under our Synthetic and Manipulated Media policy. We’re actively monitoring and when posts are found they will also be labeled as manipulated media.” However, the effectiveness of these measures is questionable, as reposts often lose the manipulated media labels.
The deepfakes appear to have originated from a pro-Trump account on X with over 1 million followers. This account, which enjoys X Premium verification and monetization benefits, has posted other deepfakes involving Swift, including an altered video of her Grammy acceptance speech. The speech was modified using voice-cloning technology to falsely make Swift endorse Trump.
Spread Across Other Social Media Platforms
The reach of these deepfakes extends beyond X. On Instagram, a search for “Taylor Swift Trump” revealed a post with the manipulated video, viewed over 6,700 times without any content labels. Facebook searches showed an AI-generated image of Swift and Trump on a “date,” which Meta labeled as “Altered photo/video” only after NBC News inquired.
On YouTube, multiple uploads of the fake video were found, with the most-watched version reaching 6,800 views. None of these videos were marked as manipulated or false media at the time of publication. Similarly, TikTok had two videos featuring the fake Swift edit, one with 14,800 views before being removed following NBC News’ inquiry.
Challenges of Moderating Disinformation
These platforms have historically struggled with moderating disinformation. A January investigation by NBC News revealed that several YouTube channels had posted fake news about Black celebrities, using AI-altered images and text-to-speech technology. The swift spread of the Swift deepfakes highlights the ongoing challenges these companies face in managing malicious media.
Political Implications and Swift’s Influence
The timing of these deepfakes raises concerns about their potential impact on the 2024 presidential election. Swift, a significant cultural influencer, publicly supported Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the 2020 election, calling for a “healing process” for the nation. However, her current political stance remains private, leaving room for speculation and manipulation by those aiming to sway public opinion.
A recent Marquette Law School poll in Wisconsin showed former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley leading President Joe Biden by 15 percentage points among likely voters, with former President Trump tied with Biden. Wisconsin is a key state in the electoral landscape, adding to the significance of these deepfakes in the broader political context.
