85% of deepfake pornography websites remain accessible despite South Korean government blocks
South Korea's Board of Audit and Inspection reported that 85.4% of deepfake pornography websites remained accessible to users despite government block orders to internet service providers. The audit attributed the failures to incomplete notification procedures and circumvention technologies using overseas content delivery networks.
What happened
A Board of Audit and Inspection audit in January 2026 found that 854 out of 1,000 deepfake pornography websites (85.4%) remained accessible despite government block requests. The audit examined a random sample from 23,107 websites that the Broadcasting and Communications Committee had requested internet service providers to block in 2024.
Of the 854 inaccessible websites, 173 (20.3%) had never been added to telecommunications blocking systems because notification emails were marked as spam or encountered server errors. The remaining 681 (79.7%) were listed in blocking systems but remained accessible through Content Delivery Network (CDN) technology using overseas servers.
Reported impact
Police reports of deepfake pornography harm increased from 160 cases in 2022 to 1,202 cases in 2025, a 7.5-fold increase. The ineffective blocking measures have failed to address the expanding harm despite government intervention.
Index analysis
The audit identified two primary technical and administrative failures: incomplete notification procedures where blocking lists failed to reach telecommunications operators, and CDN-based circumvention techniques that bypassed established blocking mechanisms. The audit noted that websites operated by foreign entities were particularly difficult to block because original servers located overseas enabled circumvention through enhanced security protocols.
Governance controls
The Board of Audit and Inspection recommended that the Broadcasting and Communications Committee improve notification procedures to prevent missing entries in blocking lists and enhance post-implementation verification. The audit recommended that telecommunications regulators develop identification and blocking technologies to counter CDN-based circumvention and strengthen international coordination with CDN operators.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.