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South Korea Criminalizes Possessing or Watching Deepfake Adult Content

South Korea Criminalizes Possessing or Watching Deepfake Adult Content
Image: Umut Sarialan (Pexels)

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South Korea Criminalizes Possessing or Watching Deepfake Adult Content

As South Korea faces an epidemic of digital sex crimes, the government decided to act. 

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Image: Gije Cho (Pexels)

Deepfake porn in South Korea gained attention after unconfirmed lists of schools with victims spread online in August. Many girls and women quickly deleted photos and videos from their Instagram, Facebook, and other social media accounts. Citizen rallied in Seoul to express their concern last September. 

Thousands of young women have staged protests, demanding tougher action against deepfake porn. This led to a wide discussion between politicians, academics, and activists. All of them have held forums to discuss the growing problem.

Voices got heard as South Korea passed legislation that makes the possession or viewing of sexually explicit deepfake videos illegal. This law tries to stop the continuous rise of unwanted deepfake content.

This monumental step imposes severe penalties on anyone who consumes such material. Under the legislation, individuals found guilty of purchasing, saving, or even watching sexually explicit deepfakes face up to three years in prison or a fine of 30 million won (approximately $22,600). 

Deepfake Sex Content: A Growing Crisis

First things first: deepfakes are AI-generated porn videos that replace real faces with those of celebrities, public figures, or ordinary people without their consent. This technology has been weaponized to create non-consensual pornographic videos, often targeting women. According to a report by Security Heroes, out of 95,820 deepfake porn videos analyzed, 53% featured South Korean singers and actresses. 

This statistic highlights how disproportionately South Korean deepfake creators target women. The public outrage resulting is no wonder. Activists and protest groups quickly formed a movement to make the voices of deepfake victims heard, with one goal only: stricter legislation to combat the spread of these harmful videos.  

The legislation also builds on existing laws in the country. Creating sexually explicit deepfake content with the intent to distribute it has been illegal in South Korea for some time. Still, until now, there has been little legal recourse for those merely consuming this type of content. 

Public frustration has mounted as deepfake videos continue to spread. More videos are uploaded every day yet viewers have often faced minimal consequences. 

Public Outrage and Victim Impact

The public’s anger has every right to exist. Every victim of deepfake porn faces severe emotional and psychological distress, with many finding that their personal and professional lives are destroyed. 

In March 2024, Channel News reported that 4000 celebrities faces were stolen to create deepfake porn content. And even with their wealth and ability to get good lawyers, some couldn’t do anything about that. So imagine what it’s like for anonymous people.

Teenagers and minors have been among the victims. At the age you forge your personality and future, some find their faces in porn content. If bullies were tough back in time, imagine what they can achieve now in the minds of fragile students. The trauma of having one’s likeness used in sexual content without consent can last a lifetime.  

Image: Thomas William (Pexels)
Image: Thomas William (Pexels)

Protesters have long demanded more decisive legal action in South Korea and globally. These cries for help have finally led to the landmark legislation that targets consumers of deepfake porn. Many victims have pointed out that the availability of these videos encourages a culture of exploitation where human dignity and consent are violated without consequence.  

Global Efforts Against Deepfake Porn

South Korea is not alone in its efforts to combat deepfake pornography. Other countries are also taking steps to address this issue. In May 2023, two U.S. senators introduced a bipartisan bill to protect teenagers against deepfake revenge porn. The main purpose was to punish those who create or share non-consensual deepfake images. This bill was blocked without explanation by Senator Booker.

The bill would have imposed fines, up to two years in prison, and civil penalties as high as $150,000. While legal frameworks are still evolving globally, South Korea’s new law is among the most stringent.  

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Image: Sopa 

Platforms like Telegram and KakaoTalk have become notorious for facilitating the exchange of deepfake pornography, enabling this illegal content to thrive. South Korea has been in talks with social media platforms like Telegram to address this issue, with the government urging tech giants to crack down on accounts spreading illegal content. 

Telegram’s CEO was arrested in France this summer for allegedly failing to moderate criminal activity on the platform. Besides the deepfake issue, other problems, such as the use of this platform for illegal activities, have made this case a great deal. As for South Korea, the government intends to hold platforms accountable for their role in the distribution of deepfake pornography.  

AI and the Future of Deepfake Porn

AI technology continues to evolve. As with every new technological improvement, there are both great and terrible uses for it. By creating more realistic content, deep fake pornography becomes harder to detect. This technological advancement has added to the urgency for new laws that punish not only creators but also consumers. Because an offer only comes to answer a demand, people who watch it must face consequences to prevent this harmful content from being created. 

While AI has many promising applications, its darker uses, such as creating non-consensual pornography, pose ethical and legal challenges that governments are racing to address.  Some social media platforms are starting to take action by blocking keywords related to deepfake content. 

For instance, X (formerly Twitter) recently blocked searches for terms related to deepfake porn featuring celebrities like Taylor Swift. When huge companies with that much impact embark on this kind of fight, you can hope for a brighter future. 

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Image: X

A Step in the Right Direction  

South Korea’s decision to criminalize the possession and watch of deepfake porn is a significant step against this global issue. Even if this won’t stop deepfake porn creation and diffusion in a week, it will surely be the first milestone of a more global action. 

It will show the public opinion that consuming non-consensual deepfake content is as harmful as creating it. Some consumers might not even think about how terrible this is for the victims. With a punishment in sight, they might reconsider their porn consumption. By holding both creators and consumers accountable, South Korea hopes to reduce the demand and protect victims from further exploitation.  

While this is an essential victory for activists and victims, this is only the beginning of a long journey. AI technology just keeps evolving as you read this, and governments worldwide must take action. South Korea’s new law is bound to create history, but only time will tell its impact on the deepfake sex crisis.


Sebastien are skilled at navigating serious topics with a touch of humor, making complex issues more accessible and engaging for a diverse audience.

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