SEOUL: South Korean authorities have initiated an investigation into the messaging platform Telegram in response to allegations of deepfake online sex crimes. The investigation aims to determine whether the platform has played a role in the distribution of sexually explicit deepfake content.

The head of the National Office of Investigation confirmed that the probe will focus on Telegram’s potential involvement in facilitating the spread of such illegal content.

When contacted, an official from the National Police Agency's cyber investigation bureau declined to comment further on the matter.

South Korean officials have been urging Telegram and other social media platforms to collaborate in the fight against the proliferation of sexually explicit deepfake content. This move comes in response to reports from various domestic sources indicating that explicit deepfake images and videos of South Korean women are frequently circulated in Telegram chatrooms.

While Telegram has not yet responded to the ongoing investigation, the company stated last week that it actively monitors and moderates harmful content on its platform, including illegal pornography.

"Moderators use a combination of proactive monitoring of public parts of the platform, sophisticated AI tools, and user reports to remove millions of pieces of harmful content each day," Telegram said in a statement.

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