Telegram in danger! App investigated for distribution of ‘deepfake’ pornography: what it is about

Telegram is under investigation by the South Korean governmentaccused of being a channel for the distribution of sexual content known as “deepfake”. This type of content is basically fake digital pornography, generated with Artificial Intelligence (AI), which uses the identity of real people in scenarios and actions that never occurred. It may also include manipulated content from photos or videos to scam, blackmail or denigrate..

According to a report by “Reuters” and “AFP”, South Korean authorities found deepfake images of women in the app’s chats. South Korea is one of the countries most affected by this type of sexual contentwith singers and actresses among the main victims.

A 2023 report revealed that more than 53% of those affected were public figures.

France has also accused the Telegram creator Pavel Durovof allowing criminal activities on the platform, which competes with WhatsApp.

Surely you remember similar cases in Mexico, such as that of Yeri Mua, who had fake intimate photos created in which she appeared naked, or Taylor Swift’s, where obviously false images were circulating.

What happened to Telegram?

Telegram is being accused of complicity in allowing the distribution of fake pornographic contentconsidered a form of organized crime in South Korea.

How to tell if a video is a deepfake?

Identifying a deepfake can be tricky, but there are signs that can help you:

• Notable faults:Despite being made with AI, deepfakes have errors such as poorly placed shadows, strange movements in the eyes, mouth and hands, or inconsistent lighting.
• The source: Ask yourself who posted it. If it comes from an account not associated with the person in the video, it’s likely a deepfake.
• Detection tools:There are platforms that analyze suspicious content, such as Real-Time Deepfake, Sentinel, and Video Authenticator Tool.

How to avoid being a victim of deepfakes?

In Mexico, Concern about deepfakes is growing, both for their sexual content and for their use in fraud. To protect yourself, the government recommends:

1. Configure your social media privacy settings.
2. Avoid sharing posts that disparage other people.
3. Verify the authenticity of photos, videos or audios before sharing them.
4. Report users who incite violence or harm others.

It is possible that The Olympia Law is extended to punish these cases with sentences of up to 6 years in prison. But we will have to wait until this becomes a reality.