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Reuters

South Korean lawmakers on Thursday passed a bill that criminalises possessing or watching sexually explicit deepfake images and videos, with penalties set to include prison terms and fines.
There has been an outcry in South Korea over Telegram group chats where sexually explicit and illegal deepfakes were created and widely shared, prompting calls for tougher punishment.
Anyone purchasing, saving or watching such material could face up to three years in jail or be fined up to 30 million won (US$22,600), according to the bill.

Currently, making sexually explicit deepfakes with the intention of distributing them is punishable by five years in prison or a fine of 50 million won under the Sexual Violence Prevention and Victims Protection Act.
When the new law takes effect, the maximum sentence for such crimes will also increase to seven years regardless of the intention.
The bill will now need the approval of President Yoon Suk-yeol to be enacted.
South Korean police have so far handled more than 800 deepfake sex crime cases this year, the Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday. That compares with 156 for all of 2021, when data was first collated. Most victims and perpetrators are teenagers, police say.


Earlier this month, police 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.
Countries around the world are grappling with how to respond to the proliferation of deepfake material.
The US Congress is debating several pieces of legislation including one that would allow victims of nonconsensual sexual deepfakes to sue, and one that would criminalise the publication of such imagery and make tech companies remove it. Earlier this year, social media platform X blocked users from searching for Taylor Swift after fake sexually explicit images of the pop singer proliferated on social media.


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South Korea

Activists rally against deepfake sex crimes. Photo: AFP

Activists in Seoul rally against illegal deepfake content calling for the government to enact appropriate countermeasures. Photo: AP

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A South Korean woman tragically died after 92 hospitals refused to admit her during a major holiday, highlighting the devastating impact of a months-long doctors’ strike. Photo: Shutterstock

South Korea’s deepfake porn epidemic: victims demand action as crisis deepens

Activists holds eye masks during a protest against deepfake porn in Seoul on August 30. Photo: AFP

Activists protest against deepfake content and demand government action in Seoul on Friday. The banners read “Regulate internet platforms that encourage deepfake sexual crimes”. Photo: David D. Lee

Protesters in the South Korean capital stage a rally in support of feminism in 2022, the year Yoon Suk-yeol became president. Photo: AP

Activists march through central Seoul on Friday protesting against deepfake content and demanding government action. Photo: David D. Lee

Dogs in cages at a farm in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. Photo: AP

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

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

Activists wear eye masks and hold posters during a protest against deepfake porn in Seoul on August 30. South Korea’s president called for an investigation into deepfake porn after media reports that Telegram chat rooms were sharing explicit images of minors at schools and universities sparked public outrage. Photo: AFP

South Korea vows tougher stance after outcry over sexual deepfakes in Telegram chat rooms

South Korea’s president called for an investigation into deepfake porn after media reports that Telegram chatrooms were sharing explicit images of minors at schools and universities sparked public outrage.
Photo: Getty

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called for a crackdown on digital sex crimes amid rising deepfake abuse, highlighting the need for stronger legislation. Photo: TNS

News

Asia

East Asia

South Korean police have so far handled more than 800 deepfake sex crime cases this year, compared with 156 for all of 2021


South Korean police have so far handled more than 800 deepfake sex crime cases this year, compared with 156 for all of 2021.


Yoon Suk-yeol

Social media

Crime

Taylor Swift