Telegram commits to removing sexual deepfakes targeting South Koreans
Telegram has committed to a "zero-tolerance" policy for sexually explicit deepfake content targeting Koreans and will establish a hotline with South Korea's communications regulator. The platform has reportedly become more responsive to content removal requests since early October after years of largely ignoring cooperation efforts from government agencies.
What happened
Telegram has committed to a 'zero-tolerance' policy against sexually explicit deepfake content targeting Korean people and stated it will cooperate with the South Korean government to address the issue.
The company pledged to establish a hotline with the Korea Communications Commission and designate a content management official for child safety. Telegram spokesperson Remi Vaughn stated the platform removes illegal pornography whenever discovered.
Reported impact
Sexually explicit deepfakes have been increasingly targeting Korean women, including minors, on the platform. The Women's Human Rights Institute of Korea noted that while it had received no responses to inquiries about illegal content on Telegram from April 2018, the company became noticeably more responsive to removal requests beginning in early October.
Index analysis
For years, Telegram served as a platform for distribution of non-consensual intimate imagery, largely due to the company's end-to-end encryption and privacy-first policy combined with a lack of government cooperation efforts.
The platform's shift toward greater responsiveness and cooperation began in early October, coinciding with increased government pressure from South Korean regulators regarding deepfake content targeting women and children.
Governance controls
Telegram has established a designated hotline with South Korea's media regulator and appointed a content management official for child safety. The Korea Communications Commission continues to urge the company to be more responsible in managing content shared on its platform.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.