Seoul: South Korean authorities have recently unearthed an extensive network of AI-generated deepfake pornography circulating through Telegram chat rooms, targeting schools and universities. This alarming discovery has led teenage activist Bang Seo-yoon to gather accounts from victims, revealing a disturbing pattern: male students steal innocuous selfies from private Instagram accounts, creating explicit images to humiliate female classmates and teachers.

South Korea, renowned for its fast internet speeds, has long faced challenges with sexual cyber violence. However, the fusion of Telegram’s anonymity, sophisticated AI technology, and inadequate legal protections has exacerbated the issue, especially in educational institutions. Bang noted that the damage extends beyond the creation of deepfake content; the widespread sharing among peers magnifies the emotional trauma for victims.

Since the initial uncovering of these chat rooms in August, Bang has amassed thousands of victim testimonies. These chat rooms, often set up within schools or universities, are primarily used to target female students and staff, with many perpetrators being teenagers.

The global prevalence of deepfake technology has surged dramatically, with a 500% increase reported in 2023, predominantly affecting women, including public figures. While celebrities may have robust legal support—such as recent actions taken by the K-pop agency HYBE against deepfake porn involving the NewJeans girl group—ordinary victims face significant hurdles in seeking justice. South Korean police report that of 793 deepfake crimes reported from 2021 to July 2023, only 16 people were arrested and prosecuted. 

The revelation of these chat rooms has led to a spike in complaints, with 118 cases reported in just five days in late August. A police crackdown resulted in the arrest of seven individuals, although six were teenagers, complicating legal proceedings due to the reluctance of South Korean courts to issue arrest warrants for minors. 

The chat rooms, with names like "the lonely masturbator," encourage members to post photos of women they wish to see "punished," leading to severe online harassment. Kang Myeong-suk from the Women's Human Rights Institute of Korea emphasized the severe psychological impact on victims, who fear further distribution of their manipulated images. Despite the digital nature of the crime, the trauma remains deeply real for those affected.

South Korea has previously faced issues with spy-cam crimes, sparking major protests and legal reforms in 2018. However, penalties for digital sex crimes remain insufficient, often resulting in minimal fines or probation. Previous Telegram scandals, including a 2020 case involving blackmail for sexual content, have not alleviated the problem.

President Yoon Suk Yeol’s comments on feminism, linking it to the nation’s low birthrate, have fostered a climate of hostility towards women, according to Professor Yoon Kim Ji-young. Police attribute the low prosecution rates to Telegram’s resistance to cooperate with authorities, despite the platform’s founder’s recent arrest in France for failing to manage illegal content.

One victim of a deepfake porn case from 2021 told AFP that the challenges of identifying perpetrators are no excuse for inaction. This victim, who wished to remain anonymous, described the experience as "huge trauma" as she worked to bring her attacker to justice. In 2021, she was bombarded with Telegram messages containing deepfake images of her being sexually assaulted. Her attacker was a fellow student from Seoul National University, someone she had rarely interacted with and had always perceived as "gentle."

The victim found it difficult to come to terms with the situation and noted that the police required her to gather all the evidence herself. She had to advocate vigorously for a trial, which is currently ongoing. Reflecting on her ordeal, she described how her sense of normalcy was shattered, stating in a letter she plans to submit to court on September 26, "The world I thought I knew completely collapsed. No one should be treated as an object or exploited to address the insecurities of individuals like the defendant, simply because they are women." AFP