South Korea Police Zero In on Telegram for Alleged Role in Deepfake Sex Crime Scandal

South Korean police have launched a high-profile investigation into Telegram, scrutinizing its alleged role in facilitating the spread of explosive deepfake sex crimes, according to Yonhap.

South Korea Targets Telegram in Deepfake Crime Probe

The Yonhap news agency claimed on Monday that South Korean police have begun an investigation into the messaging app Telegram in relation to deepfake online sex crimes. The story cited a senior police official as the source of the information.

According to Yonhap, which cited the head of the National Office of Investigation, the investigation will look into whether or not it had been facilitating the circulation of sexually explicit videos that were created using deepfakes.

When contacted by telephone, a representative from the cyber investigative office of the National Police Agency refused to confirm the story.

Authorities Seek Cooperation from Social Media Platforms

South Korean authorities have reportedly requested assistance from Telegram and other social media platforms in their fight against sexually explicit content that is created using deepfakes, as reported by Reuters.

According to complaints from a number of domestic media sites, sexually explicit deepfake photographs and videos of South Korean women were frequently discovered in Telegram chatrooms. These procedures were taken in response to these reports.

Telegram Moderation Under Scrutiny

However, the company stated last week that it aggressively moderates dangerous information on its network, including illicit pornography. Although Telegram could not be reached for comment immediately, the firm did say that it does so.

"Moderators use a combination of proactive monitoring of public parts of the platform, sophisticated AI tools and user reports in order to remove millions of pieces of harmful content each day," according to a statement issued by the company.