Deepfake sexual crimes target women, especially celebrities. Legal actions are increasing as the South Korean government addresses the issue.
September/17/2024 17:50
Deepfake (AI-based synthesis) sexual crimes have become a serious social problem. According to a report titled '2023 Status of Deepfakes' released by the American cybersecurity company Security Hero, an analysis of 95,820 videos posted on 10 websites featuring deepfake sexual content revealed that 99% of victims of deepfake obscene images are women, of which 53% are Korean. In particular, the main victims of deepfakes are celebrities such as singers and actresses. Furthermore, among the 10 most targeted individuals, 8 were Korean singers. Celebrities are easily targeted for deepfake crimes due to their exposure in various media. In response, agencies representing female celebrities have indicated they will take legal action. Kwon Eunbi, known as the goddess of 'WATERBOMB' and who has garnered significant attention, was quick to announce her response. After gaining attention from 'WATERBOMB' last year, her agency, which has suffered from sexual harassment, emphasized that they are compiling numerous posts to file a lawsuit against those who synthesized the artist's likeness to disseminate fictitious obscene photos, and investigations are ongoing with the police. Other girl group agencies have also clarified their policies. JYP Entertainment, home to TWICE, stated, 'We take the situation of deepfake videos targeting our artists very seriously. This is a clear illegal act, and we are currently collecting all related materials. We are proceeding with strong legal measures without leniency through a specialized law firm.' Additionally, agencies such as FCENM, which represents ILY:1, YG Entertainment, which represents BLACKPINK and BABY MONSTER, CUBE Entertainment, which represents (G)I-DLE, XGALX, which represents XG, HIGH-UP Entertainment, which represents STAYC, and Modhaus, which represents tripleS, as well as Big Planet Made, which represents VIVIZ and BADVILLAIN, have also announced legal actions. ADOR, which represents NewJeans, which has underage members, responded quickly, stating that those who disseminated and sold obscene photos synthesized with the members' faces had 'some confirmed criminal penalties in the first instance.' Actresses and models are not exceptions. SARAM Entertainment stated, 'Recently, there have been illegal productions and distributions of deepfake videos targeting actress Park Gyu-young and model Aileen. We will respond strictly.' Deepfake is a technology that uses AI to process parts of videos, images, and sounds to create images and videos that do not exist in reality. This technology is used in various fields, including artistic and cultural endeavors like movies, but there have been numerous cases of its misuse for criminal activities. The crime of synthesizing the faces of female celebrities to create and disseminate obscene images has been a problem for some time. Furthermore, during the reporting of the n-room incident in 2020, it was said that there was a 'deepfake room' targeting celebrities. However, completely eradicating this issue has proven difficult. Moreover, with the advancement of AI, deepfake technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated, reaching a level where synthesized images and videos no longer exhibit the unnaturalness or discomfort characteristic of such content, leading to even greater harm. Amidst this, the issue of deepfakes has resurfaced and has become a topic of concern overseas as well. Agencies are becoming more vigilant in response to this and are declaring legal actions against sexual crimes. Recognizing the seriousness of the problem, the South Korean government has decided to establish regulations punishing the possession, purchase, and viewing of non-existent images like deepfakes, and is promoting amendments to laws to raise the standards for punishment against the production and distribution of deepfakes. The police are also actively investigating and continuing strong responses, raising questions about whether they can prevent and eradicate the increasing number of victims.
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