Telegram Apologizes for Handling Deepfake Pornographic Material in South Korea

Telegram has issued an apology to South Korean authorities over its response to deepfake pornographic material distributed on its platform, as the country faces a growing epidemic of digital sex crimes.

This apology comes days after South Korean police opened an investigation into Telegram, accusing the messaging app of "abetting" the spread of illicit images.

In recent weeks, many Telegram chatrooms—some operated by teenagers—were found to be sharing sexually explicit deepfakes created by altering photos of young women.

Authorities have since confirmed that Telegram removed the videos in question from its platform.

In a statement to South Korea's Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), Telegram expressed regret, calling the situation "unfortunate," and adding that it "apologised if there had been an element of misunderstanding." Telegram also confirmed that it had taken down 25 deepfake videos at the request of KCSC.

Telegram proposed setting up a dedicated email address for future communication with the regulator. The KCSC praised this initiative, calling Telegram’s response "very forward-looking" and acknowledging that the company had recognized the seriousness of the issue.

Deepfakes, which are created using artificial intelligence, often combine the face of a real person with a fake body, resulting in realistic but harmful fabricated content. The recent surge in deepfake activity has sparked outrage in South Korea after it was revealed that police were investigating deepfake pornography rings at two of the country's top universities.

Journalists later reported that police had received 118 complaints of such videos in just five days. Seven suspects, including six teenagers, have been questioned in connection with the crimes. These chat groups were reportedly linked to schools and universities, and many victims were students and teachers familiar to the perpetrators.

In South Korea, those found guilty of creating sexually explicit deepfakes face prison sentences of up to five years and fines of up to 50 million won (approximately $37,500 or £28,300).

The deepfake controversy follows the arrest of Telegram's Russian-born founder, Pavel Durov, in France. Durov has been charged with child pornography, drug trafficking, and fraud connected to activities on the Telegram app.

Last Tuesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered authorities to "thoroughly investigate and address these digital sex crimes to eradicate them." Women's rights activists in South Korea have previously criticized the authorities for not taking enough action to prevent sexual abuse facilitated through Telegram.

In a high-profile case in 2019, a sex ring was found to be using Telegram to blackmail women and children into producing pornographic content. The ringleader, Cho Ju-bin, who was 20 at the time, was later sentenced to 42 years in prison.

By fLEXI tEAM