South Korea’s media regulator, the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), has stated that it has been in communication with the popular encrypted messaging app Telegram. Telegram confirmed it has removed certain deepfake explicit content from its platform and issued an apology for its lack of response to digital sexual crimes.

Telegram Officially Apologizes

This move by Telegram marks an important development, as the company is taking more responsibility in combating such crimes in South Korea. Recently, numerous chat rooms on Telegram were discovered to contain deepfake pornographic content created by digitally manipulating photos of Korean women.

In an email sent to the KCSC, Telegram’s East Asia representative confirmed that the company had removed 25 pieces of sexual exploitation material from the platform at the commission’s request. The company also apologized for the communication shortcomings on the matter. To facilitate quicker and more effective communication in the future, Telegram has provided KCSC with a dedicated email address.

KCSC officials also revealed that they had requested Telegram to establish an emergency communication line with South Korean authorities. This hotline is seen as a critical step in more effectively combating illegal content.

A KCSC official stated, “We aim to strengthen our collaboration with Telegram by establishing a hotline starting with this special email address to prevent the circulation of deepfake sexual exploitation materials and ultimately eradicate digital sexual crime content.”

It seems that the Russia-based messaging app is trying to recover from a difficult period, including issues involving its founder’s imprisonment. It remains to be seen what the future holds for the platform.