Telegram has issued an apology to South Korean authorities for its role in the distribution of deepfake pornographic material on its platform, as the country grapples with a surge in digital sex crimes.
This comes shortly after South Korean police launched an investigation into the messaging service, accusing it of facilitating the spread of manipulated images.
Over the past few weeks, numerous Telegram chatrooms, many operated by teenagers, were discovered to have been circulating sexually explicit deepfakes, primarily targeting young women.
In response, Telegram has removed the offending content, according to South Korean authorities.
In a statement to South Korea’s Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), Telegram expressed regret over the situation, calling it “unfortunate” and offering an apology if there had been any misunderstanding.
The company confirmed it had taken down 25 videos at the KCSC’s request and proposed a dedicated email channel to improve communication with the regulator moving forward.
KCSC praised Telegram’s approach as “very forward-looking” and acknowledged that the company had “recognized the seriousness” of the issue.
Deepfakes, which use artificial intelligence to merge real faces with fake bodies, have sparked widespread outrage in South Korea, particularly after investigations revealed that deepfake pornography rings had emerged at two prominent universities.
In just five days, police received 118 reports related to deepfake content, with seven suspects—six of whom are teenagers—questioned.
The chatrooms were linked to schools and universities, and many victims were students or teachers known to the perpetrators.
In South Korea, creating sexually explicit deepfakes can result in up to five years in prison and fines reaching 50 million won ($37,500 or £28,300).
The recent discoveries follow the arrest of Telegram’s Russian-born founder, Pavel Durov, in France on charges related to child pornography, drug trafficking, and fraud on the platform.
Durov has since been formally charged.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol recently directed authorities to “thoroughly investigate and address these digital sex crimes to eradicate them.”
Women’s rights activists have been critical of the government’s handling of such cases, particularly in light of past incidents on Telegram, including a 2019 case where a sex ring, led by Cho Ju-bin, blackmailed women and children into creating pornographic content.
Cho, who was 20 at the time, received a 42-year prison sentence.
Source-BBC
