[Editorial] Uproot sexual deepfakes

Making deepfake images or videos by combining facial photos of innocent persons with pornography, as well as their distribution, is undoubtedly criminal. It is punishable under the Sexual Violence Prevention and Victims Protection Act. It is a heinous crime that abuses the anonymity of social media and computer technology.

Deepfake sexual material is spreading fast and indiscriminately. Police recently arrested the operator of a Telegram chatroom where users shared deepfake sexual content created by combining facial pictures of female university students with pictures of other people's naked bodies.

Many similar chatrooms are said to exist on Telegram. Reports that deepfake porn victimizing university students, middle and high school students, female teachers and soldiers are raising public concerns. A list of “schools victimized by deepfakes” reportedly appeared online on Aug. 25. More than 100 schools are said to be listed there.

According to the National Police Agency, 297 cases of deepfake sexual material were reported to police across the country from January to July. The number was trending up from 156 in 2021 to 160 in 2022 to 180 in 2023, and keeps increasing this year. Out of 178 suspects booked for creating or distributing deepfakes, 131 -- 73.6 percent -- were teenagers.

Deepfake sexual material is apparently widespread, especially among teenage students. Now is the time to sound the alarm on the crime and supplement-related system.

Deepfake criminals are said to have saved photographs of victims from social media without their permission and used them to create deepfake sexual content. Because deepfakes are made in this fashion, anybody can be a victim.

Deepfake images circulate mostly on Telegram, which is known for its strong security that makes it easy for perpetrators to avoid the police dragnet. The platform has often been criticized as a hotbed for spreading harmful content anonymously.

The arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France on Saturday is likely not unrelated to this situation.

Durov was detained as part of a French judicial inquiry into allegations that the lack of moderation on his platform has facilitated illicit activities such as drug trafficking and the distribution of child sexual abuse images. Europe is building a comprehensive strategy to tackle cybercrime that involves social media. The European Union is pushing online platforms to quickly remove illegal content.

President Yoon Suk Yeol made instructions at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday to root out digital sex crimes that use deepfake technology. The government must grasp the reality of illicit content quickly and respond sternly.

Punishments for deepfake sex crime must be strengthened. Making deepfake sexual material with the intention to distribute it is punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won ($37,500). However, only a few have been sentenced to imprisonment. Most first-time offenders received probation. A slap on the wrist only incites more deepfake sex crimes.

The “Nth Room” incident that jolted the nation happened on Telegram. Perpetrators made many chatrooms to share images of sexually exploited women and sold the images to chatroom users or received chatroom entrance fees.

It is difficult to identify distributors on Telegram as its servers are located overseas, so it is necessary to find alternative ways to cut Koreans off from illicit activities on the platform. The government must try to minimize damage by setting up a system that requires social platforms to delete illicit images quickly and block their distribution.

It is necessary to raise public understanding of the serious consequences and unethical nature of deepfakes. For teens, using networking sites and sharing photos are part of their everyday lives, and they may not be aware that doing so with deepfakes is a crime. Education needs to be strengthened particularly for teenage students.

Creating and distributing deepfake sexual material is a felony that devastates the victims and tramples on human rights. Online users should report deepfake crimes more actively while the government and National Assembly should work out stronger measures.