Taylor Swift Shows Us What's Coming Next In Gender and Tech (deepfake porn) - And Advocates Should Be Concerned [View all]

[usonian]

Last edited Sat Jan 27, 2024, 01:44 AM - Edit history (1)

I posted in GD for visibility. Copied here.

https://democraticunderground.com/100218630455

https://www.techpolicy.press/taylor-swift-shows-us-whats-coming-next-in-gender-and-tech-and-advocates-should-be-concerned/

You know what it is. Deepfake porn.

Here's a snippet from the article.

Of course, nonconsensual pornography is far from the only harm that women experience on a daily basis. It must also be considered in context with all of the other harms that women regularly experience, with little help from law or regulation. Here, again, looking at Swift as an example is illuminative – on the very same day that these graphic images went viral on X, Swift’s alleged stalker was arrested for the third time in one week. Again, if Taylor Swift, who has access to bodyguards and security, is experiencing this frustrating lack of protection from our legal system, it is vital to consider the experience of an average woman working within these structures. When it comes to curbing gender-based harms – including stalking (which often includes technology via cyberstalking) and especially AI-generated abuses like deepfake pornography – legislators, regulators, and companies may as well be telling women: you’re on your own, kid. But, it does not have to be this way.

Swifties turn to tech policy?
While protections for victims and survivors of stalking likely will not improve anytime soon (partially thanks to a recent Supreme Court decision), we are at a uniquely ripe time for regulation of AI – and again, here, Taylor (and the Swifties) could lead the way. While celebrities have been victims and survivors of nonconsensual deepfake pornography in the past, none of those images have had quite this extensive of a reach, or as vehement of a response from fans.

This incident could both serve to raise awareness of the harms of these technologies, as well as to become a catalyst for regulators to speak now and take action to protect women, girls, and other marginalized groups from those harms. While the Biden-Harris Administration’s executive order on AI has set into motion the development of guidance for content authentication and the clear watermarking of AI-generated content, many advocates have stressed that these schemes are “unlikely to work” on their own to meaningfully mitigate the sorts of harms that can ensue when deceptive AI content proliferates online.

Furthermore, Swifties – Taylor’s fearless and staunchly loyal fanbase – can play a role in pushing for regulation of these technologies, and others that harm marginalized groups. Their power and ability to organize (particularly in digital spaces) should not be ignored or underestimated; this is, after all, the very same fanbase that sued Ticketmaster after many of them were unable to secure tickets to the Eras tour. Some X users are already predicting that Taylor Swift, and her fans, could be the thing that leads to “heavy regulation of AI,” and expressing gratitude for it.

Short of it is that the existing industry and regulatory system is insufficient to protect people from the harms of these technologies, so raise hell. EVERYONE raise hell, and boot misogynists out of office.

Edit to add: A Hacker News poster reports:

"Taylor Swift" is being banned on X/Twitter

In the past few hours, users have expressed concerns about encountering difficulties when attempting to accurately use hashtags for Taylor Swift or even searching for her name on the platform. This issue arises amidst the controversy surrounding the dissemination of AI-generated images depicting the renowned singer in a compromising manner.