Telegram pledges zero tolerance for deepfake pornography

Seoul, Sep 30
South Korea's media regulator said on Monday that Telegram has pledged to adopt 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 face-to-face working-level meeting with Telegram on Friday, raising concerns over deepfake content involving doctored images of Korean women, which has surfaced on Telegram in recent months.

In response, Telegram acknowledged the severity of the issue in Korea and vowed to take strict action against such illegal material, reports Yonhap news agency.

"Telegram said they understood the situation in Korea where deepfake porn content has become a significant social issue," KCSC Chairman Ryu Hee-lim stated in a press conference, adding that the platform will take stern measures to combat the problem.

In addition to targeting digital sex crimes, Telegram will actively remove content related to pornography, prostitution, drugs, and gambling, as requested by the KCSC, which holds 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 anticipates that illegal content will now be removed more swiftly following the recent agreement.

Telegram has recently removed a total of 148 cases of sexual exploitation material from its platform from September 3-25 as requested by the KCSC.

On Sunday, the South Korean state telecommunications watchdog noted "significant progress" in its recent talks with Telegram over the handling of deepfake content on the encrypted messaging app.

Amid a surge in 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 notified the KCSC immediately.