Telegram, the 10th-most used social media platform worldwide and best known for its strong privacy features is being hit by an unprecedented wave of events. On August 24, 2024, its Founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France. He has been charged with failing to take steps to handle criminal activities on his application. He has also been accused of not cooperating with law enforcement over crimes such as drug trafficking, child sexual abuse materials and fraud, money laundering which are being committed using Telegram.
Telegram is famous for its very private messaging, which is good for most users but also attractive to people who use it for criminal activities. This has led to a series of claims and investigations by authorities in different countries over the adverse misuse of Telegram. One of such countries is South Korea, who in a report stated that it is investigating the app for its alleged role in distributing AI-generated, deepfake pornography. This move is in line with South Korea’s goal of combating deepfake pornography targeting young women, including teenagers, which is being circulated online.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a powerful new technology. It has gained global adoption which is used for many good purposes. However, threats actors are using this technology for malicious purposes such as creating Deepfakes. This has become a major issue in South Korea as it is experiencing a surge in deepfake sex crime cases. The country has seen a significant increase from 156 cases in 2021 to 297 so far this year, with most of the perpetrators being teenagers and the victims being females, including school students as well as female soldiers in South Korea’s military.
The charges are about aiding this crime says Woo, referring to deepfake videos. According to police, a total of 88 deepfake sex crime reports were filed between last Monday and Thursday, and 24 individuals have been identified as suspects so far. As part of the ongoing investigation, eight automated programs creating deepfake pornography for Telegram are under scrutiny, along with group chat rooms responsible for circulating such content.
Telegram claims to use a combination of proactive monitoring of public parts of the platform, sophisticated AI tools and user reports in order to remove millions of pieces of harmful content each day. However, criminals are still utilizing AI to fuel dangerous cyber crimes, and Telegram is said to be a major platform for sharing these explicit AI-generated deepfake content.
The President Yoon Suk, prompted by public outcry, is calling on officials to carry out a thorough investigation to address these digital sex crimes and to remove them completely. Woo Jong-soo, head of the investigation bureau at the National Police Agency, says the police plan to collaborate with the French investigative authorities and international institutions to find methods for investigating Telegram.
Many argue that just as the manufacturers of cars are not to be blamed when their vehicle is involved in an accident, likewise the owners of these platforms. Other tech giants such as Microsoft, Meta have been under alot of scrutiny and regulatory watch over their platforms and AI technology but it’s the first time a CEO is being arrested. However, government and regulatory bodies expect that these companies be more responsible for their products and how it is being used.
South Korean authorities called on Telegram and other social media platforms to work together with them in deleting and blocking sexually explicit deepfake content. The outcome of these investigations could change how privacy and safety on messaging apps is handled.
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