South Korean police announced on Monday that they have launched an investigation into the encrypted messaging platform Telegram for allegedly facilitating the distribution of deepfake pornography, including explicit AI-generated images of teenagers.
Deepfake porn involves the use of artificial intelligence to superimpose individuals’ faces onto pornographic images or videos, creating non-consensual and often explicit content. This technology has been used to manipulate images and videos, leading to a surge in digital sex crimes.
The investigation was triggered by reports from a South Korean broadcaster last month, revealing that university students were operating an illegal Telegram chatroom where they shared deepfake pornographic material featuring female classmates. This case is part of a broader pattern of digital sex crimes in South Korea, which has seen a rise in incidents involving spycams and revenge porn.
According to Woo Jong-soo, head of the investigation bureau at the Seoul National Police Agency, the police received 88 reports of deepfake porn in just the past week and have identified 24 suspects. The probe into Telegram, which began last week, focuses on allegations that the platform has been “abetting” these crimes.
“The Telegram platform has been non-responsive to our previous requests for account information during investigations of earlier Telegram-linked crimes,” Woo said in a press briefing. The South Korean authorities are facing challenges due to Telegram’s lack of cooperation, which has hindered their efforts to gather necessary information for the investigation.
The situation has been further complicated by the recent arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France. Durov faces charges related to failing to control extremist and illegal content on the platform. South Korean police have pledged to work closely with various international investigative bodies, including French authorities, to enhance their probe into Telegram.
Activists in South Korea have criticized the country’s current legislation as insufficient for addressing the epidemic of digital sex crimes. In response to growing public outrage, President Yoon Suk Yeol has called for a comprehensive investigation and stronger measures to combat these offenses and prevent further abuses.
The South Korean police continue to investigate and seek cooperation from international partners to tackle the growing problem of deepfake pornography and other digital sex crimes.
