Telegram promises zero tolerance for deepfake pornography

Seoul, September 30 (IANS) South Korea’s media regulator said on Monday that Telegram has pledged to implement a zero-tolerance policy and immediately remove deepfake pornography and other illegal content from its platform, in cooperation with local authorities.

The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) said it had a personal working-level meeting with Telegram on Friday, raising concerns over deepfake content featuring doctored images of Korean women that has surfaced on Telegram in recent months.

In response, Telegram acknowledged the seriousness of the issue in Korea and pledged to take strict action against such illegal material, Yonhap news agency reported.

“Telegram said they understood the situation in Korea, where deepfake porn content has become a major social problem,” KCSC chairman Ryu Hee-lim said at a press conference, adding that the platform will take strict measures to combat the problem. to fight.

In addition to its targeted approach to digital sex crimes, Telegram will actively remove content related to pornography, prostitution, drugs and gambling, as requested by the KCSC, which has the exclusive authority to review and flag illegal content.

The platform has also committed to working closely with Korean authorities, including the police, and will hold regular working-level meetings with the KCSC.

As part of these efforts, a new hotline will be established between Telegram and the KCSC to expedite responses to content violations.

The KCSC expects that illegal content will now be removed more quickly following the recent agreement.

Telegram recently removed a total of 148 cases of sexually exploitative material from its platform from September 3 to 25, as requested by the KCSC.

On Sunday, South Korea’s state telecommunications watchdog noted “significant progress” in its recent talks with Telegram on handling deepfake content on the encrypted messaging app.

Amid a wave of deepfake videos, Telegram opened a hotline with the KCSC earlier this month to better respond to such content on its platform. Telegram has since removed dozens of explicit materials and immediately notified the KCSC.