Telegram has issued an apology to South Korean authorities for its role in the distribution of deepfake pornographic material on its messaging platform, amid what has been described as a digital sex crime epidemic in the country. The apology follows an investigation launched by South Korean police, who accused Telegram of “abetting” the spread of these explicit images.
In recent weeks, a significant number of Telegram chatrooms, many managed by teenagers, were found to be creating and sharing sexually explicit deepfakes—images manipulated using artificial intelligence to combine real individuals’ faces with fake bodies. The victims in these cases were often young women, including students and teachers known to the perpetrators.
Telegram, in a statement to South Korea’s Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), described the situation as “unfortunate” and expressed regret for any “misunderstanding.” The company confirmed that it had removed 25 videos flagged by the KCSC and proposed setting up a dedicated email address to facilitate ongoing communication with the regulator. The KCSC praised Telegram’s approach as “very forward-looking” and noted that the platform has “acknowledged the seriousness” of the situation.
The deepfake crisis has sparked widespread outrage in South Korea, particularly after it was revealed that police were investigating deepfake porn rings at two major universities. Authorities have received 118 reports of such videos in just five days, and seven suspects, six of whom are teenagers, have been questioned by police. These chat groups were linked to schools and universities across the country, with many of the victims being acquaintances of the perpetrators.
Under South Korean law, creating sexually explicit deepfakes can result in a prison sentence of up to five years and fines up to 50 million won (approximately $37,500).
The issue of digital sex crimes on Telegram is not new in South Korea. In 2019, the app was infamously used by a sex ring to blackmail women and children into producing pornographic content. The ringleader, Cho Ju-bin, was sentenced to 42 years in prison.
These recent events also 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 charged.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has directed authorities to “thoroughly investigate and address these digital sex crimes to eradicate them.” Women’s rights activists in South Korea have criticised the authorities for what they perceive as a failure to prevent and adequately address sexual abuse facilitated by platforms like Telegram.
