South Korea’s media regulator announced Tuesday that Telegram has complied with its request to remove deepfake pornographic content from the platform. The encrypted messaging app also apologized for its initial response to digital sex crimes and pledged to improve communication with Korean authorities.
Removal of Explicit South Korean Deepfake Content
The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) reported that Telegram’s East Asia representative confirmed the removal of 25 pieces of sexual exploitation material as requested. The company acknowledged miscommunication on the issue and provided an exclusive email address for future correspondence with the media watchdog.
The KCSC has welcomed this move, stating that it wishes to strengthen cooperation with Telegram by securing a hotline to better respond to illicit content on the platform.
We wish to strengthen cooperation with Telegram by securing a hotline, starting with the exclusive email address, to resolve the circulation of deepfake sexual exploitation materials and ultimately eradicate digital sex crime content,” a KCSC official said.
This development comes as South Korea’s digital sex crime epidemic continues to worsen. According to police reports, the number of deepfake cases has soared from 156 in 2021 to 297 as of July this year. The situation has prompted President Yoon Suk Yeol to call for thorough investigations into digital sex crimes.
Addressing a Growing Problem
The issue gained national attention after media reports revealed chat rooms on Telegram suspected of creating and distributing deepfake porn content using doctored photos of Korean women. This led to a preliminary police investigation into Telegram’s corporate entity for allegedly abetting deepfake sex crimes.
In 2020, the platform’s reputation was tarnished when an online sexual blackmail ring, led by Cho Ju-bin, was discovered operating in its chatrooms. Cho Ju-bin, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for blackmailing at least 74 women, including 16 teenagers, into sending increasingly degrading and sometimes violent sexual imagery of themselves.
Local media reports focused on reports of deepfakes of female university and high school students being shared in Telegram channels, sparking widespread outrage. These reports prompted the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union to call on the education ministry to investigate the matter, citing cases where school students have been the victims of sexual deepfakes.
Under South Korea’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Victims Protection Act, making sexually explicit deepfakes with the intention to distribute them is punishable by five years in prison or a fine of 50 million won ($37,500).
South Koran President Yoon Suk Yeol stated during a recent televised cabinet meeting, “It’s an exploitation of technology while relying on the protection of anonymity. It’s a clear criminal act.”
The country is taking a zero-tolerance approach to digital sex crimes, and Telegram’s cooperation is a significant step towards addressing this issue.