Messaging platform Telegram has apologized for a “miscommunication” regarding deepfake pornography in South Korea, according to reports from South Korean media on Wednesday. This comes a day after Seoul authorities ordered an investigation into the app over the issue.
The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) reported that Telegram called the scandal “unfortunate” and expressed regret over the miscommunication. The platform has removed 25 videos at the request of the KCSC.
The investigation, announced Tuesday, follows the revelation last month that a group of university students had created AI-generated pornography featuring the real faces of female classmates. Police have received 88 complaints about deepfake pornography and identified 24 suspects.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has pledged to address the rising tide of online sex crimes, including revenge porn and surreptitious recordings. This commitment comes amid growing concerns about digital sexual exploitation in the country.
Telegram’s legal troubles extend beyond South Korea. In August, its founder and chief, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France over allegations of allowing criminality to spread on the platform. The Russian-born, Dubai-based entrepreneur is currently being held in custody.
The platform has previously been implicated in serious crimes in South Korea. In 2019, 20-year-old Cho Ju-bin was sentenced to 42 years in prison for leading a sex ring that used Telegram to blackmail women and children into filming themselves.
In response to the current situation, the KCSC has requested Telegram to establish a hotline with South Korean authorities to better address illegal content on the platform. A KCSC official stated, “We wish to strengthen cooperation with (Telegram) by securing a hotline, starting with the exclusive email address, to resolve the circulation of deepfake sexual exploitation materials and ultimately eradicate digital sex crime content.”
