Telegram faces South Korean investigation over deepfake porn ‘emergency’

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South Korea is investigating Telegram for allegedly facilitating the distribution of deepfake pornography, just days after the platform’s founder Pavel Durov was arrested in France.

The investigation comes amid a rise in deepfake sex crimes, with 297 cases reported in the first seven months of the year, nearly double the number in 2021.

South Korean police will examine whether the messaging platform is facilitating the spread of sexually explicit deepfake material, which is increasingly targeting women and minors, the Yonhap News agency reported, quoting the head of the National Office of Investigation.

The National Police Agency’s cyber investigation bureau would not confirm the news report when reached by telephone. Telegram did not issue a statement either, Reuters reported.

President Yoon Suk Yeol has called for thorough investigations into digital sex crimes, emphasising the need to address the exploitation of technology and anonymity.

“It’s a clear criminal act,” Mr Yoon said during a televised cabinet meeting last Tuesday, without referring to the messaging app.

Authorities have called on Telegram and other social media platforms to cooperate in the fight against sexually explicit deepfake content.

Deepfake pornography is a major issue in South Korea, with singers and actresses constituting 53 per cent of the individuals featured in such images and videos, according to a 2023 report by Security Hero, an American startup focused on identity theft protection.

"Deepfake sexual abuse materials can be created in just a minute and anyone can enter the chatroom without any verification process," the BBC quoted women’s rights activist Park Ji-hyun as saying on X.

The activist demanded a national emergency declaration to tackle the problem. "Such incidents are occurring in middle schools, high schools, and universities across the country."

South Korean police are planning a seven-month crackdown on digital sex crimes, increasing regulation and establishing a 24-hour hotline for victims.

The government has pledged to push for tougher laws making the purchase or viewing of sexually exploitative deepfakes a criminal act.

Telegram’s reputation took a hit in South Korea after it emerged that an online sexual blackmail ring was operating mostly in the app’s chatrooms.

In 2020, the leader of the ring, Cho Ju-bin, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for blackmailing at least 74 women, including 16 teenagers, into sending him increasingly degrading and sometimes violent sexual imagery of themselves.

Additional reporting by agencies