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The alarming rise in deepfake crimes, particularly among minors as both victims and offenders, is driven by a lack of awareness about the harm such actions can cause, according to experts and law enforcement officials. A widespread belief among young offenders that platforms like Telegram offer a safe haven from law enforcement further exacerbates the problem.

They warn that without immediate action, the abuse of deepfake technology will continue to escalate, stressing the urgent need for comprehensive education to address this threat, as teenagers, heavily exposed to advanced technology and social media, remain the most vulnerable.

Graphic by Bae So-young

Over one-third of victims who sought assistance from government agencies to remove illegally manipulated deepfake content were aged under 19, highlighting the increasing harm such materials are causing to minors.

According to data from the Digital Sexual Crime Victims Support Center, under the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, 36.9 percent, or 288 of 781 people who requested support from Jan. 1 to Aug. 25 were minors.

The number of underage victims who requested support has surged, doubling from 64 cases in 2022 to 124 in 2023, and soaring to 288 cases as of August. In less than two years, the figure has risen approximately 4.5 times.

Including adults, the total number of victims seeking assistance from the center has also increased 3.7 times from 212 in 2022 to 781 cases during the same period.

Social media has become a primary channel for the spread of digital sex crimes, with the frequent use of these platforms by teenagers exacerbating the damage.

"Younger people, especially those in their teens and 20s, are more accustomed to forming connections online, making them more vulnerable to harm from illegal composites," an official from the support center said.

"Advances in deepfake technology and generative artificial intelligence are driving a surge in related crimes."

Teenagers today are deeply immersed in digital culture, frequently creating vlogs to document their daily lives, learning coding as early as fifth grade and getting used to sharing photos and videos on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Their time spent online particularly surged further during the COVID-19 pandemic, solidifying cyberspace as a central part of their routines.

This digital fluency, however, has inadvertently created conditions where digital sex crimes can occur with greater ease. Experts warn that many offenders lack a serious sense of guilt, often dismissing their actions as harmless pranks.

Graphic by Bae So-young

"It's not that perpetrators are unaware their actions are wrong, but they fail to grasp the extent of the harm they can cause," Han A-rum, a lawyer specializing in digital crimes, said.

Han noted that some parents of offenders underestimate the gravity of these acts, often dismissing them as less severe than physical violence.

"Educating students early, starting as young as first grade, is crucial," she said.

"They need to understand that creating or distributing manipulated content with a single click can cause irreversible damage to the victims."

She also emphasized the need for a systematic education policy aimed at parents.

Melissa Alvarado, regional programme manager for Ending Violence against Women at the United Nations Women's Asia-Pacific regional office, echoed the importance of fostering respect and equality from an early age.

"Children need to develop the right mindset from a very young age to ensure they do not engage in digital sexual violence, including deepfake crimes," she said.

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Offenders will get caught

"There are hundreds of girls I've insulted with manipulated content, and I haven't been jailed. As long as we use Telegram, there's nothing to worry about," an offender boasted in a Telegram chatroom that shares explicit deepfake content of acquaintances.

This reporter infiltrated the chatroom on Nov. 21, to uncover the brazen attitude of offenders who exploit the platform to distribute manipulated content using deepfake technology.

As evidenced by the message, the rise in deepfake crimes is driven in part by the belief of offenders that they can evade law enforcement and thereby, avoid accountability.

According to a report from the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) in 2022, weak punishment is a key factor behind the prevalence of digital sex crimes among minors. It showed that 26.1 percent of respondents cited lenient penalties as the primary reason, followed by 22.3 percent who pointed out a lack of fear of being caught.

This suggests that minors believe they can avoid legal consequences for creating and distributing such content, particularly when using overseas-based social media platforms like Telegram.

Many victims of deepfake crimes contacted by The Korea Times, expressed frustration over the challenges of bringing perpetrators to justice.

Kim Sung-taek, chief of the cyber investigation team at the Gyeonggi Southern Police Agency

Meanwhile, notable but gradual changes are emerging on Telegram, a platform that has long been regarded as an impenetrable barrier for investigators.

"Telegram has begun cooperating with authorities, establishing a hotline with the Korean police and agreeing to assist in investigations," Kim Sung-taek, chief of the cyber investigation team at the Gyeonggi Southern Police Agency, said.

This shift in Telegram's stance came after the arrest of the platform's founder and CEO Pavel Durov by French authorities in August. Durov was indicted on preliminary charges of conspiracy for allegedly neglecting to address the distribution of pornography, drug trafficking and money laundering through the app.

"While we are still in the early stages of this collaboration, I can confidently say that the belief that offenders cannot be arrested on Telegram is no longer true," Kim said.

In a bid to combat deepfake sex crimes more effectively, the government also announced plans to expand the use of undercover operations. Previously limited to cases involving the illegal filming of minors, these operations will now extend to include crimes targeting adults, signaling a stronger commitment to tackling digital sex crimes.

Participants of a Telegram chatroom, distributing explicit deepfake content of acquaintances, share their experiences with other users, saying that they won't get caught, Nov. 21. Reporters from The Korea Times and its sister paper The Hankook Ilbo infiltrated the chatroom for coverage and reported it to Telegram on Dec. 1. Captured from Telegram

Despite recent advancements, significant challenges remain in the field. Although the law permitting undercover investigations has been revised, its implementation will not take effect until six months after its passage.

Budget constraints further hinder investigative efforts. The National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee recently cut 3.16 billion won ($2.2 million) from the special police activities budget. These funds are essential for operations requiring confidentiality, such as those targeting deepfake crimes and drug trafficking.

"Undercover investigations are costly to conduct," Kim said. "In addition to securing adequate funding, we need to develop software that can enhance the efficiency of these investigations."

Nevertheless, the chief emphasized that police are steadily expanding their cooperation with Telegram, marking a critical step forward in combating such crimes.

In a significant move, Telegram has pledged to delete sexually explicit deepfake content targeting Korean users as part of its efforts to strengthen collaboration with the Korean government.

Furthermore, it designated a dedicated officer to protect underage users from illicit content, in line with its zero-tolerance policy for illegal material, according to the KCC. Yet, details about the designated officer remain unknown.

As of Dec. 1, the offender who boldly said in the Telegram chatroom that "We will never be arrested on Telegram," continued to distribute explicit videos and images created with deepfake technology. On the same day, this reporter flagged two chatrooms, including the one where the offender was active, and reported them to Telegram for sharing explicit deepfake content involving acquaintances.