South Korea police probe Telegram for potential role in distributing deepfake pornography

South Korean police are investigating Telegram for its potential role in distributing deepfake pornography, following a surge in such crimes

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South Korean police are investigating Telegram for its role in distributing deepfake pornography, amid rising cases and public outrage over such content. Photo: Reuters

Published: 5:09pm, 2 Sep 2024

South Korean police have launched an investigation into Telegram that will look at whether the encrypted messaging app has been complicit in the distribution of sexually explicit deepfake content, Yonhap news agency said on Monday.

Yonhap quoted the head of the National Office of Investigation. The office’s cyber investigation bureau declined to comment on the report.

The launch of an investigation would follow public and political outrage over digital deepfake pornography featuring South Korean women, with local media reporting such content is often found in Telegram chat rooms.

It would also go one step further than comments from the commissioner of the National Policy Agency, Cho Ji-ho, earlier on Monday, who said his agency was reviewing whether to investigate secure messaging apps by charging them with abetting crimes.

Authorities in South Korea last week pledged a crackdown on sexually exploitative deepfake crimes – one that has coincided with a French investigation into Pavel Durov, Telegram’s Russian-born founder, as authorities there probe organised crime on the platform.

Asked in parliament about criminal activities on Telegram, Cho said investigations into secure message providers have proven complicated and time-consuming.