The Telegram messaging service has removed some pornographic content after a request from South Korea’s media regulator, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Tuesday, September 3.
In late August, South Korean media outlet Hankyoreh had claimed that university students were running a Telegram chat group in which pornographic deepfakes of their female classmates were circulating, a case that caused a scandal.
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South Korean police announced Monday that they have opened an investigation into Telegram, accusing it of” encourage “ the dissemination of such fake pornographic content, including images of minors. Pornographic deepfakes are montages generated with artificial intelligence, in which the faces of individuals are superimposed on sexual photos or videos.
“Telegram also apologized”
Following a request from the regulatory authority, the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), the Telegram application announced that it had removed 25 contents – out of several thousand – presenting a sexual exploitation nature, the Yonhap agency reported on Tuesday.
“Telegram also apologized for miscommunication on the matter and provided a dedicated email address for future communications with the media regulator.”Yonhap added, citing the KCSC.
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Online crime is rife in South Korea, according to activists, who say it includes the exploitation of spy cameras and the posting of private pornographic content shared without consent as a form of revenge. Following the announcement of a police investigation in South Korea, the messaging service Telegram assured Agence France-Presse on Monday that it “actively monitored harmful content on its platform, including illegal pornography”.
The investigation opened by the Seoul police comes after the arrest, on August 28 in France, of the boss of Telegram, Pavel Durov. After four days in police custody, the billionaire was released but he is subject to a heavy judicial control including a ban on leaving French territory. According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, he is being indicted in particular for: “refusal to communicate information necessary for interceptions authorized by law” and complicity in organized crimes and offenses through the platform.
