Elon Musk-run X finally blocked searches for Taylor Swift after explicit AI-generated images went viral on its platform last week.

The pop star’s images had been viewed by millions of people before X removed them. The company has been criticized for being slow to act on the images. When searching for Swift, a message now appears: “A problem occurred. Try reloading.”

The social media platform said it was a “temporary action” to prioritize safety. The company told the BBC that the action was taken “out of an abundance of caution as we prioritize safety on this issue”.

In an earlier statement, X had said it had a zero-tolerance policy against such content. “Our team is actively removing all identified images and taking appropriate action against the accounts responsible for posting them,” X said.

The White House last week proposed legislation to protect people from artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes after a fake photo of Swift went viral. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the incident “shocking” and said it was one of the artificial intelligence issues that has been a priority for Joe Biden’s administration.

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said the apparent Swift AI fraud was “shocking and horrific.” Swift is reportedly considering taking legal action against the website responsible for generating the deepfakes.

(This article has not been edited by News18 staff and is published by IANS, the associated news agency)