On Thursday, South Korean lawmakers approved a bill that criminalizes the possession and viewing of sexually explicit deepfake images and videos, introducing penalties that include prison sentences and fines.
This legislation comes in response to public outrage over the widespread sharing of illegal deepfakes in Telegram group chats, leading to demands for stricter enforcement.
Under the new law, individuals who purchase, save, or view such material could face up to three years in prison or fines of up to 30 million won (approximately $22,600).
Currently, the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes intended for distribution carries a penalty of five years in prison or a fine of 50 million won (about $37,900) under the Sexual Violence Prevention and Victims Protection Act.
The new bill will increase the maximum penalty for these offenses to seven years, regardless of intent.
The legislation now awaits the approval of President Yoon Suk Yeol to be enacted. South Korean police have reported handling over 800 deepfake sex crime cases this year alone, a significant rise from the 156 cases recorded in 2021, the year data collection began.
Most of the victims and perpetrators involved are teenagers.
Additionally, earlier this month, police initiated an investigation into Telegram to determine whether the encrypted messaging app played a role in facilitating the distribution of sexually explicit deepfake content.
Globally, countries are struggling to address the rising issue of deepfake material.
In the United States, Congress is currently debating several legislative measures, including one that would allow victims of nonconsensual sexual deepfakes to file lawsuits and another that would criminalize the distribution of such content while requiring tech companies to remove it.
Earlier this year, social media platform X restricted users from searching for Taylor Swift after fake sexually explicit images of her surfaced online.
Source-CNN
