South Korean authorities have initiated an investigation into the messaging platform Telegram to assess whether it has played a role in distributing sexually explicit deepfake content.
The report by Reuters on September 2 marks an upsurge in the government’s efforts to fight sexual exploitation through digital platforms. This is due to the rising incidences of deep fakes targeting South Korean women.
The investigation, as reported, is the first time South Korean law enforcement has sought legal action against Telegram. The allegations against the platform include facilitating sexual crimes through the dissemination of deepfake content.
Deepfake pornography cases surge among South Korean youth
The investigation focuses on eight bots in the Telegram app that create and spread fake adult content. Since the investigation started in late August, 88 complaints have been filed, and 24 suspects have been named in the distribution of deepfakes.
Deepfake pornography has become a significant concern in recent times as more and more cases are being reported. South Korean police have recorded 297 deep fake sex crimes this year alone, as compared to 156 cases in the previous year. Alarmingly, both the victims and the offenders are usually teenagers, which suggests that this problem is rife among the youth.
South Korea has become the country most impacted by deepfake pornography worldwide. According to Security Hero, a U.S.-based identity theft protection firm, 53% of the victims of deepfake pornography are South Korean singers and actresses.
Government announces new legislation to curb explicit deepfakes
Due to the increasing risk, the South Korean government has also lately announced that new legislation will be enacted to prevent the production and dissemination of sexually explicit deepfakes. The Korea Communications Commission has also urged social media companies to further step up in the removal and blocking of such content.
At the same time, the South Korean authorities asked for help from their French counterparts to deal with Telegram and enhance direct communication with the company. The head of the South Korean National Policy Agency, Cho Ji-ho, stated that the agency plans to check messaging apps such as Telegram for possible links to crime.
Telegram faces international scrutiny
Telegram has been accused of allowing banned content in the past, and this is a similar case. Pavel Durov, the founder of the platform, is facing several charges in France and is currently under investigation. The French police are looking into the possibility of the platform having some relation with organized crime.
A few days after his arrest in France, it became known that the Indian government was investigating Telegram for ties to criminality. This has put more pressure on Telegram to address the concerns raised by the South Korean government.
Telegram has stated that it moderates content and removes prohibited content including child pornography. However, the company’s ability to do so has been doubted. The company denied the allegations towards Durov saying that it is unreasonable to hold the owner of the platform responsible for the actions of the users.
