Seoul police chief says 74 deepfake crime suspects under probe

The head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) said Monday his agency was investigating 74 deepfake crime suspects on charges of creating or distributing fake pornographic videos on the messaging app Telegram. SMPA Commissioner Kim Bong-sik made the remarks in a meeting with reporters, saying his agency created a special task force late last month to intensively crack down on deepfake porn crimes. "Currently, 126 cases are under investigation, and 74 suspects have been identified," Kim said. The suspects are mostly in their teens, accounting for 51 people of the total 74 (69 percent), followed by those in their 20s with 21 people (28 percent), he said, adding the remaining two are in their 30s. Regarding the agency's investigation into Telegram on suspicion of abetting the deepfake crimes, an SMPA official said the necessary measures are being taken in cooperation with law enforcement authorities overseas. Source: Yonhap News Agency