In recent weeks, a number of chat groups, linked to schools and universities in South Korea, have been discovered on the Telegram messaging service. In the groups, users upload pictures of people they know, for example classmates and teachers. The photos are used to create deepfakes, in the form of fake nude photos. What is a “deepfake”? A deepfake is an image, sound or video that has been manipulated using artificial intelligence. Such content can make it seem as if someone has said something they have not said, or done something they have not done. It can be used for a lot of nonsense, but also misused to create fake pornographic images, or make it look like a head of state is coming up with a serious plan. Hits most minors Almost 6 out of 10 victims of deepfake offenses are minors, according to a report from the South Korean police, write the Korea Herald. Most of the victims are girls. South Korean feminists call the increase in sex crimes an epidemic. Photo: ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP In some of the groups, members are encouraged to share their name and age, as well as the area where the person they are sharing a photo of is caged. That’s what the BBC wrote, which has investigated some of the channels on Telegram. The South Korean journalist Ko Narin was one of the first to write about the closure of the groups. – The worst thing I discovered was a group for underage students at a school, which had more than 2,000 members, she says to the BBC. In one of the groups, there should have been up to 230,000 members, according to Womenlink, a Korean activist group that works for women’s rights. The group wrote in a statement that the sharing of fake nude photos is an objectification of women and normalizes and encourages sexual violence. Investigation of Telegram launched Last week South Korean police received 88 notifications about deepfake porn. So far, 24 people are suspected and identified, writes AFP. The governing authorities in South Korea have now launched an investigation into Telegram. They believe the messaging service has contributed to the spread of deepfake pornography. “Telegram has not responded to our requests for information about the accounts used in the crime that can be linked to Telegram,” says Seoul police chief Woo Jong-soo to the Korea Herald. The investigation takes place after Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France in August. Founder and head of Telegram Pavel Durov in India in 2017. Photo: Tatan Syuflana / AP French authorities believe the app’s lack of moderation and lack of cooperation with the authorities contributes to drug trafficking, abuse and fraud. South Korea wants to cooperate with France on the investigation. In a statement to the South Korean authorities, Telegram apologizes for the way they have handled the situation and calls it “unfortunate”. The messaging service will now have removed several videos, at South Korea’s request, writes the BBC. Epidemic of sex law fines South Korea was also affected by a number of sex law offenses in 2019. In what is being called the NTH scandal, men pressured young women to perform sexual acts in a group on Telegram. The leader of the group, Cho Ju-bin, was sentenced to 40 years in prison. According to the South Korean police, the number of sexual offenses has increased. So far this year, 297 cases have been reported to the police, compared to 180 last year. Feminist groups in South Korea call the new upsurge in sexual offenses a national crisis and an epidemic. President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol has initiated an investigation into the digital sex crimes. Photo: CHUNG SUNG-JUN / AFP President Yoon Suk Yeol announced a plan for cyber security on Sunday, and has promised to crack down hard on the sharing of false information such as deepfakes online, writes the Korea Herald newspaper. Both countries such as the UK and Australia have proposed bans on the sharing of deepfake pornography. Hør utanriksradksjonen’s podcast: Published 05.09.2024, at 19.39
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South Korea investigates Telegram for spreading deepfake porn – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
