Administrative Response to Deepfake Crimes

On September 19^th, teenagers who sold over 1,380 deepfake sexual abuse materials on a social media platform, Telegram, were caught by the police. These teenagers downloaded videos from overseas deepfake pornography sites and sold them, including fake videos targeting underage celebrities. Student A was accused of downloading illegal deepfake materials of about 20 Korean female celebrities and others from overseas pornography sites. He sold them on a Telegram channel from November 2023 to July 2024. The sellers reportedly gathered buyers by introducing paid channels that share deepfake videos with acquaintances and sending anonymous money transfer system links to those who wanted to join. The police, who confiscated about ₩10 million in criminal proceeds from Student A’s residence, are continuing to track down more viewers who may have purchased the illegal videos. A police official reported that they would catch crimes using Telegram and other social media platforms. With many of the perpetrators known to be minors, educational authorities are scrambling to establish appropriate policies to prevent further crimes. As deepfake-related incidents continue to emerge around schools, it underscores the urgent need for legal measures.