Toncoin (TON) Drops to $5 as South Korean Police Launch Investigation into Telegram

Coin speaker

Toncoin (TON) Drops to $5 as South Korean Police Launch Investigation into Telegram

Toncoin (TON), the native token of The Open Network, has seen a slight price decline over the past 24 hours following reports that Telegram was under investigation in South Korea for allegedly distributing deepfake pornography and other sexual material featuring South Korean women.

According to data from CoinMarketCap, the digital asset that has been falling in value since last week following the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France, fell by almost 3% on Monday. TON is currently valued at around $5.16 from a record high of $8.25 in June this year.

South Korea targets deepfake crimes on Telegram

The drop comes less than 24 hours after South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that the country’s National Bureau of Investigation has launched a preliminary investigation into the encrypted messaging app to determine whether Telegram violated the law.

Police are investigating the platform’s practices and the alleged distribution of explicit deepfake sexual content and materials featuring women on the platform.

The investigation was launched after police received alarming reports of deepfake pornography circulating in Telegram chatrooms. These manipulated images and videos, designed to look like real individuals, sparked outrage from both domestic feminist groups and international K-pop fans, who demanded immediate action from the government.

In response to public outrage, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered a broad investigation into digital sex crimes, particularly those that abuse technology to create and distribute deepfake pornography.

President Yoon stressed the importance of tackling the exploitation of women in the digital world and called for stricter regulations to address the problem.

Authorities take decisive action

Following the president’s request, South Korean regulators, in collaboration with police, have pledged to take decisive action against those involved in creating and distributing sexually exploitative deepfakes.

They also urged Telegram and other social media companies to fully cooperate with their efforts to eradicate this growing problem.

Now, law enforcement has sprung into action, starting with Telegram. Authorities are investigating the platform to determine whether reports that Telegram is distributing deepfake sexual content and other illegal materials involving their women are true.

The investigation adds to mounting global pressure on Telegram, which is also facing probes in other countries, including India. While the South Korean probe focuses on illegal sexual content, the Indian probe is looking into allegations of extortion and gambling on the platform.

Korean women used in deepfake pornography

Over the years, South Korean women have been disproportionately targeted in deepfake pornography. A 2023 report from U.S.-based identity protection startup Security Hero found that South Korean celebrities, including popular singers and actresses, account for 53% of all individuals featured in deepfake content globally.

The problem is escalating rapidly within the country. So far this year, South Korean police have reported 297 deepfake-related sex crimes.

The number is a significant increase from the 156 cases documented in 2021. Shockingly, many of the victims and perpetrators are teenagers.

The gravity of the situation was underscored in August when a South Korean court convicted a man involved in making deepfake pornography targeting female students at Seoul National University.

Toncoin (TON) Drops to $5 as South Korean Police Launch Investigation into Telegram