South Korea Probes Telegram Over Deepfake Sex Crimes

• South Korea launches investigation into Telegram’s alleged role in distributing explicit deepfake content.
• Telegram founder Pavel Durov was recently arrested in France over failure to combat illegal activities.
• A surge in online deepfake sex crimes prompted urgent action from South Korean authorities.

South Korean authorities are investigating messaging platform Telegram for its potential involvement in deepfake online sex crimes. The probe, according to Reuters report , will focus on whether Telegram facilitated the distribution of sexually explicit deepfake content. This development follows the recent arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France on charges related to the platform’s handling of illegal activities.

Telegram, headquartered in Dubai, has nearly one billion users worldwide. Although officials at the National Police Agency’s cyber investigation bureau declined to comment, South Korean authorities have reportedly urged Telegram and other social media platforms to help combat the spread of sexually explicit deepfake content.

Having said that, the investigation gathered steam after several reports from domestic media outlets highlighted the prevalence of sexually explicit, deepfake images and videos of South Korean women and minor girls in Telegram chat rooms.

This incident highlights a broader issue in South Korea, which has struggled with digital sex crimes for years. Activists have long warned about the prevalence of such crimes, including the use of spycams and revenge porn. In 2020, Cho Ju-bin, the leader of an online sex abuse ring, received a 42-year prison sentence.

Still, that has done little to combat the rise in online deepfake sex crimes in South Korea, as police reported 297 cases in the first seven months of this year, a significant increase from 180 cases in 2023 and 160 in 2021.

While Telegram has not yet made any public statement about the investigation, the company stated last week that it actively moderates harmful content on its platform, including illegal pornography, using a combination of proactive monitoring, AI tools, and user reports to remove millions of harmful content daily.

As Telegram faces scrutiny for its potential role in facilitating the distribution of explicit deepfake content, this case underscores the urgent need for stronger measures to combat online exploitation and protect vulnerable individuals.