Deepfake videos persistently escalate despite legal restrictions
In the first seven months of 2025, South Korean authorities have taken significant steps to combat the growing issue of deepfake sex crimes. According to data released by the Korean Communication Standards Commission (KCSC), a staggering 15,808 deepfake pornography videos were either deleted or blocked during this period.
This figure represents a substantial increase from previous years. Enforcement activity against deepfake sex crime videos has climbed sharply, with 1,913 cases in 2021 escalating to 23,107 in 2024. The seven-month tally of 2025 accounts for 68% of the total for all of 2024, suggesting that South Korean authorities expect the number of deepfake sex crime videos actioned in 2025 to exceed the total for 2024 by December.
Lee Yoon-ho, a professor of police administration at Dongguk University, has highlighted the ease with which anyone can create deepfake pornography due to access to generative AI technology. Professor Lee, however, has criticised the current practice of blocking deepfake videos only after they have already spread, stating that this approach has clear limitations.
The KCSC's actions against deepfake sex crime videos are in accordance with the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. The commission takes action against these videos based on its own investigations or in response to public complaints.
The data shows that victims of digital sex crimes involving image manipulation such as deepfakes are predominantly minors and people in their 20s. Of the 540 victims of deepfake pornography reported to the Digital Sex Crime Victim Support Center under the Women's Human Rights Institute of Korea, as of July, 256 were in their 10s or younger, and 240 were in their 20s.
Professor Lee has suggested a comprehensive response is urgently needed across legislation, the judiciary, and administration to address deepfake sex crimes. This includes tougher sentencing standards for sex crimes involving AI, international cooperation to crack down on overseas servers, and the mandatory introduction of technical safeguards such as watermarks on AI-generated content.
Experts find it difficult to impose penalties on platforms with servers based overseas or to track down offenders. However, since 2020, the KCSC has taken corrective measures against overseas illegal pornography sites and peer-to-peer platforms distributing deepfake sex crime videos. Two of the 15,808 deepfake sex crime videos were removed with the provider's cooperation.
While the fight against deepfake sex crimes is a complex and ongoing challenge, South Korean authorities are demonstrating their commitment to protecting their citizens from this insidious form of cybercrime.
