SEOUL: South Korean police said on Monday (Sep 2) they had launched an investigation into encrypted messaging platform Telegram for allegedly “abetting” the distribution of so-called deepfake porn, including explicit images of teenagers generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
Deepfake porn includes explicit content where the faces of individuals are digitally superimposed onto other pornographic images or videos using AI technology.
A South Korean broadcaster reported last month that university students were running an illegal Telegram chatroom, sharing deepfake pornographic material of female classmates, one of a slew of high-profile cases that have stoked public anger.
“In light of these (deepfake) crimes, the Seoul National Police Agency launched their probe last week … for abetting the crimes,” said Woo Jong-soo, head of the investigation bureau at the National Police Agency, according to a transcript of a press briefing.
“Telegram has been non-responsive to our previous requests for account information during investigations of earlier Telegram-linked crimes,” he said.
Police received 88 reports of deepfake porn last week alone, Woo said, adding they have identified 24 suspects.