Entertainment

Outrage Over Deepfake Images Of Taylor Swift

Published

2 years ago

January 27, 2024

Editor

Fans of Taylor Swift and politicians, including the White House, expressed outrage on Friday at AI-generated fake porn images of the megastar that went viral on X and were still available on other platforms.

One image of the US megastar was seen 47 million times on X, the former Twitter, before it was removed Thursday. According to US media, the post was live on the platform for around 17 hours.

“It is alarming,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, when asked about the images.

“Sadly we know that lack of enforcement (by the tech platforms)disproportionately impacts women and they also impact girls who are the overwhelming targets of online harassment,” Jean-Pierre added.

Deepfake porn images of celebrities are not new but activists and regulators are worried that easy-to-use tools employing generative artificial intelligence (AI) will create an uncontrollable flood of toxic or harmful content.

Non-celebrities are also victims with increasing reports of young women and teens being harassed on social media with sexually explicit deepfakes that are more and more realistic and easy to manufacture.

The targeting of Swift, the second most listened-to artist in the world on Spotify (narrowly after Canadian rapper Drake), could shine a new light on the phenomenon with her legions of fans outraged at the development.

Last year Swift used her fame to urge her 280 million Instagram followers to vote.

Her fans also pushed US Congress to hold hearings about Ticketmaster when the company bungled the sale of their hero’s concert tickets in late 2022.

“The only ‘silver lining’ about it happening to Taylor Swift is that she likely has enough power to get legislation passed to eliminate it. You people are sick,” wrote influencer Danisha Carter on X.

X is one of the biggest platforms for porn content in the world, analysts say, as its policies on nudity are looser than Meta-owned platforms Facebook or Instagram.

This has been tolerated by Apple and Google, the gatekeepers for online content through the guidelines they set for their app stores on iPhones and Android smartphones.

In a statement, X said that “posting Non-Consensual Nudity (NCN) images is strictly prohibited on X and we have a zero-tolerance policy towards such content.”

The Elon Musk-owned platform said that it was “actively removing all identified images and taking appropriate actions against the accounts responsible for posting them.”

It was also “closely monitoring the situation to ensure that any further violations are immediately addressed, and the content is removed.”

The images however continued to be available and shared on Telegram.

Swift’s representatives did not respond to a request for comment.

The star has also been the subject of rightwing conspiracy theories and even fake videos where she is falsely shown to be promoting high-priced cookware from France.

– ‘Easier and cheaper’ –

“What’s happened to Taylor Swift is nothing new. For years, women have been targets of deepfakes without their consent,” said Yvette Clarke, a Democratic congresswoman from New York who has backed legislation to fight deepfake porn.

“And with advancements in AI, creating deepfakes is easier & cheaper,” she added.

Tom Kean, a Republican congressman, warned that “AI technology is advancing faster than the necessary guardrails. Whether the victim is Taylor Swift or any young person across our country, we need to establish safeguards to combat this alarming trend.”

Legally mandated controls would need the passing of federal laws, which remains a longshot in a deeply divided US Congress.

US law currently affords tech platforms very broad protection from liability for content posted on their sites and content moderation is voluntary or implicitly imposed by advertisers or the app stores.

Many well-publicized cases of deepfake audio and video have targeted politicians or celebrities, with women by far the biggest targets through graphic, sexually explicit images found easily on the internet.

Software to create the images is widely available on the web.

According to research cited by Wired magazine, 113,000 deepfake videos were uploaded to the most popular porn websites in the first nine months of 2023.

And research in 2019 from a startup found that 96 percent of deepfake videos on the internet were pornographic.

Entertainment

My First Son Not Interested In Taking After Me – 2Face Reveals Nino’s Ambition

Published

10 hours ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

Legendary Nigerian musician, Innocent Idibia, popular known 2Face, has revealed that his first son, Nino, isn’t interested taking after him by becoming a musician.

Despite Nino being a talented sax player, his father revealed that his ambition is to become a medical doctor.

The African Queen crooner disclosed this while bringing Nino on stage at an event in Abuja, marking his 25 years in music industry.

“Making some noise for my son Nino, mehn,” he tells the crowd as he brings the lad on stage.

“He said he doesn’t want to be a singer. He wants to be a doctor,” he added amid cheers from the crowd.

2Face’s first son, Nino Idibia, was born on January 15, 2006, to him and his former baby mama, Sumbo Adeoye.

Nino is a saxophonist, a model and social media influencer.

Children following their parents’ footsteps is a common phenomenon in the Nigerian music industry.

Wizkid’s first son, Boluwatife Balogun recently launched his musical career at the age of 14 with his debut EP ‘Champions’ Arrival’ under the stage name, Champz.

Entertainment

Tems Reveals What She Loves Most About Wizkid

Published

10 hours ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

Grammy winning Nigerian music star, Tems, has revealed what she loves about her colleague, Wizkid.

She made this known during a question and answer session with her fans on X.

A fan @Gbolaha_n9 had asked her one thing she loves most about Wizkid who is her biggest collaborator in the industry.

“One thing you love about BigWiz?”

In response, the songstress stated that she loves Wizkid’s kind heart and his incredible work ethic.

She wrote; “His Heart, his work ethic”.

DAILY POST reports that Wizkid and Tems formed one of Afrobeats’ most iconic collaborations when they teamed up for “Essence”, released in 2020 on Wizkid’s Made in Lagos album that grew into a global sensation, and earned multiple nominations.

Also, Tems has been seen with Wizkid performing on several global stages.

Entertainment

Wema Bank, Davido Push 5ive Tour Through Four Regions Ahead Of Abuja Finale

Published

1 day ago

November 27, 2025

Editor

Wema Bank and Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, are set to conclude the Nigerian leg of the 5ive Tour in Abuja on December 14, 2025, after successfully taking the tour through four regions of the country.

The Abuja show marks the latest development in the nationwide rollout of the 5ive Tour, which has so far attracted more than 80,000 attendees across four major cities.

The Nigerian leg of the tour has already made stops in Uyo, Yola, Enugu and Ibadan, covering all four regions in what organisers described as a deliberate effort to ensure diversity, inclusion and nationwide accessibility for fans.

The homecoming tour follows a successful global run earlier in the year, when Davido embarked on the 5ive Tour to celebrate the release of his fifth studio album, 5ive. He later announced in October 2025 that the tour would return to Nigeria, continuing his long-standing partnership with Wema Bank.

Since its kickoff, Wema Bank has amplified the tour experience with exclusive customer access, VIP packages and premium Davido 5ive Tour merchandise that has gained nationwide popularity.

The bank’s involvement has been credited with raising the bar for entertainment collaborations, contributing to what has become one of the biggest studio tours on the continent.

The partnership, already widely recognised from previous initiatives, has once again drawn commendation from fans and industry observers, who praise Wema Bank for maintaining a strong connection with youth culture and entertainment trends.

With excitement building ahead of the Abuja finale, Wema Bank has urged fans hoping to secure free tickets or limited-edition tour merchandise to follow its social media pages on Instagram, X and Facebook for updates as the #Wema5iveAliveTour approaches its grand conclusion.

The tour featured performances in five cities across Nigeria: Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, Enugu, Ibadan, and Lagos.

As the headline sponsor, Wema Bank spearheaded the execution of the tour, which promised to deliver an unforgettable experience for attendees.

The bank launched an official hashtag, #Wema5iveAliveTour, and offered exclusive freebies and experiences to customers who sign up on the ALAT App using the code ‘Davido5iveAlive’ and remain active.

“The excitement is off the charts as Nigerians wait impatiently in anticipation of what the Bank has in store for its customers.

“Anyone interested in getting access to the freebies and exclusives Wema Bank is bringing is expected to download the ALAT App, sign up using the code ‘Davido5iveAlive,’ stay active and follow the Bank on all social media platforms.”