DUBAI, UAE – Telegram has issued a formal apology to South Korean authorities over its handling of deepfake pornographic content circulated on its platform.
The messaging app, which has faced mounting criticism for its role in facilitating the spread of such illegal material, expressed regret and pledged cooperation with the country’s regulators.
The apology comes on the heels of an investigation launched by South Korean police, who accused Telegram of “abetting” the distribution of explicit deepfake images.
These images, often doctored photographs of young women, were found in numerous chatrooms—many of which were reportedly operated by teenagers.
In a statement addressed to South Korea’s Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), Telegram described the situation as “unfortunate” and offered an apology for any “misunderstanding” that may have arisen.
The company confirmed it had complied with a KCSC request to remove 25 such videos from its platform and proposed the creation of a dedicated email address for future communications with the regulator.
The KCSC responded positively, characterizing Telegram’s approach as “very forward-looking” and acknowledging that the company had recognized the gravity of the issue.
The proliferation of deepfake pornography has sparked widespread outrage in South Korea, particularly following revelations that police were investigating similar crimes at two of the nation’s leading universities.
The situation escalated further when it was disclosed that authorities had received 118 reports of deepfake videos in just five days, leading to the questioning of seven suspects, six of whom are minors.
The chatrooms involved were reportedly connected to individual schools and universities, with many victims being students and teachers personally known to the perpetrators.
South Korean law imposes severe penalties on those convicted of creating or distributing sexually explicit deepfakes, with sentences of up to five years in prison and fines reaching 50 million won (approximately $37,500).
These developments have reignited memories of a previous scandal involving the use of Telegram to facilitate sexual exploitation.
In 2019, a criminal ring led by then 20-year-old Cho Ju-bin used the platform to blackmail dozens of women and minors into producing pornographic content.
Cho was later sentenced to 42 years in prison for his crimes.
Compounding Telegram’s current challenges, the app’s founder, Russian-born Pavel Durov, was recently arrested in France on unrelated charges involving child pornography, drug trafficking, and fraud.
Durov has since been charged, further casting a shadow over the platform’s operations.
In response to the deepfake crisis, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has called for a thorough investigation and decisive action to eliminate digital sex crimes.
Women’s rights activists in the country have long criticized authorities for their perceived leniency towards platforms like Telegram, which they accuse of enabling sexual abuse.
The messaging app, which has faced mounting criticism for its role in facilitating the spread of such illegal material, expressed regret and pledged cooperation with the country’s regulators.
The apology comes on the heels of an investigation launched by South Korean police, who accused Telegram of “abetting” the distribution of explicit deepfake images.
These images, often doctored photographs of young women, were found in numerous chatrooms—many of which were reportedly operated by teenagers.
In a statement addressed to South Korea’s Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), Telegram described the situation as “unfortunate” and offered an apology for any “misunderstanding” that may have arisen.
The company confirmed it had complied with a KCSC request to remove 25 such videos from its platform and proposed the creation of a dedicated email address for future communications with the regulator.
The KCSC responded positively, characterizing Telegram’s approach as “very forward-looking” and acknowledging that the company had recognized the gravity of the issue.
The proliferation of deepfake pornography has sparked widespread outrage in South Korea, particularly following revelations that police were investigating similar crimes at two of the nation’s leading universities.
The situation escalated further when it was disclosed that authorities had received 118 reports of deepfake videos in just five days, leading to the questioning of seven suspects, six of whom are minors.
The chatrooms involved were reportedly connected to individual schools and universities, with many victims being students and teachers personally known to the perpetrators.
South Korean law imposes severe penalties on those convicted of creating or distributing sexually explicit deepfakes, with sentences of up to five years in prison and fines reaching 50 million won (approximately $37,500).
These developments have reignited memories of a previous scandal involving the use of Telegram to facilitate sexual exploitation.
In 2019, a criminal ring led by then 20-year-old Cho Ju-bin used the platform to blackmail dozens of women and minors into producing pornographic content.
Cho was later sentenced to 42 years in prison for his crimes.
Compounding Telegram’s current challenges, the app’s founder, Russian-born Pavel Durov, was recently arrested in France on unrelated charges involving child pornography, drug trafficking, and fraud.
Durov has since been charged, further casting a shadow over the platform’s operations.
In response to the deepfake crisis, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has called for a thorough investigation and decisive action to eliminate digital sex crimes.
Women’s rights activists in the country have long criticized authorities for their perceived leniency towards platforms like Telegram, which they accuse of enabling sexual abuse.
