South Korean officials announced on Wednesday that they intend to request additional assistance from Telegram and other social media platforms in the removal and censorship of sexually explicit, deepfake content.
TakeAway Points:
- As part of steps to address the growing issue, South Korean officials announced on Wednesday that they want to ask Telegram and other social media platforms to assist more actively in the removal and censorship of sexually explicit, deepfake content.
- The actions are being taken in response to political and public outcry following reports from local media outlets that Telegram chatrooms frequently contained sexually explicit, deep-fake photos and videos of South Korean women.
- Meanwhile, the manufacturer of Nokia-branded phones, HMD Global, said that it has partnered with toy company Mattel to introduce the HMD Barbie Phone, a miniaturised pink flip phone with classic styling and features.
South Korea fights to tackle digital sex crimes
The steps come amid public and political outrage after several domestic media outlets reported that sexually explicit deepfake images and videos of South Korean women were often found in Telegram chatrooms.
A 24-hour hotline for victims will also be set up and the number of regulatory personnel monitoring digital sex crimes will be doubled from the current number of 70, the Korea Communications Standards Commission said.
The Korean National Police Agency also said it will make a seven-month push to crack down on online sex crimes.
The media watchdog plans to set up a consultative body to enhance communication with social media firms about deleting and blocking sexual deepfake content, its chairman, Ryu Hee-lim, told a meeting on the issue.
For companies that don’t have offices in South Korea, it wants to set up a face-to-face channel for regular consultation.
“Production, possession, and distribution of deepfake sex crime videos are a serious crime that destroys the individual dignity and personal rights,” Ryu said.
In addition to Telegram, the commission said it would be seeking cooperation from X as well as Meta’s Facebook and Instagram and Google’s YouTube.
Telegram faces fierce criticism
Criticism of Telegram in South Korea has coincided with the arrest of Pavel Durov, Telegram’s Russian-born founder, on the weekend—part of a French probe into child pornography, drug trafficking, and fraud on the encrypted messaging app.
The number of deepfake sex crime cases in South Korea has surged from 156 in 2021 when data was first collated to 297 so far this year, with most of the perpetrators being teenagers, according to police data.
The victims are usually female and include school students as well as female soldiers in South Korea’s military.
South Koreans have made more than 6,400 requests for help from the Korea Communications Standards Commission to have sexually explicit deepfake content taken down this year. That compares with nearly 7,200 cases last year in which the commission agreed to help take down the content.
HMD partners with Mattel to launch Barbie phone
HMD Global, which makes Nokia-branded phones, said it has teamed up with toymaker Mattel to launch the HMD Barbie Phone – a pint-sized pink feature flip phone with a retro design.
The phone, priced at 99 pounds ($131.24), is available starting on Wednesday. The device allows users to make calls and send texts but gives no access to social media apps.
The Barbie-pink keypad has hidden designs featuring palm trees, hearts, and flamingos that light up in the dark, the company said.
The launch coincides with the Barbie doll’s 65th birthday this year and follows the success of last year’s “Barbie” movie starring Margot Robbie, which grossed $1.4 billion at the global box office.
“I’d imagine quite a few people will be tempted to buy it as a bit of fun, but in reality, everyone is so dependent on their smartphones that anything more than the odd day of detox will be a stretch,” said Ben Wood, chief analyst at research firm CCS Insight.
Research firm CCS Insight estimates that HMD could sell more than 400,000 Barbie phones in the UK, where it will be available through Vodafone and Argos.
Finnish firm HMD, which is backed by Alphabet’s Google and Qualcomm, has launched several feature phones, including reissues of classic Nokia phones such as the 3210 and 3310.
