Deepfake sex crimes surge, teen girls and women hit hardest

Protesters call on the Ministry of Education to establish measures to prevent and respond to deepfake sex crimes on university campuses during a rally at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno District, Seoul, Oct. 18, 2024. Yonhap

A Korean human rights institute said in a new report Thursday that it has provided support to 1,807 victims of online sexual crimes since August of last year, as part of a broader effort to combat the distribution of deepfake and doctored images.

The Women’s Human Rights Institute of Korea (WHRIK) set up a dedicated team within the National Center for Digital Sexual Crime Response a year ago in reaction to a surge in sex crimes using deepfake technology. Since then, the center has handled about 18,500 cases, with actions ranging from counseling to the removal of doctored images, a threefold increase compared to the same period in 2024.

The sharp increase in reported cases underscores how rapidly deepfake technology has accelerated the spread of digital sexual crimes, presenting a major social and legal challenge for Korea. The findings paint a picture of a nation where authorities and advocacy groups are scrambling to keep pace with the swift and anonymous proliferation of manipulated images online.

Just over 97 percent of victims were women. By age group, those under 20 accounted for the largest share at 46.4 percent, reflecting the spread of deepfakes in middle and high schools. Those in their 20s followed closely with 45.9 percent.

The center said it is focusing on key initiatives to strengthen its response to online sex crimes, with the goal of creating an integrated support system for content removal by the end of the year.

As part of the initiative, it plans to launch a single online portal to streamline reporting and use artificial intelligence (AI) to automate the response, ranging from round-the-clock monitoring to removal requests, to provide faster and more systematic protection for victims.

The center also aims to set up a prevention system that automatically detects and reports child and teen sexual exploitation on social media, mobile apps and other online platforms.

“Deepfake sex crimes are a new form of human rights violation stemming from the misuse of technology,” said Shin Bo-ra, WHRIK president. “With the convenience and accessibility of generative AI, anyone can become a victim in an instant.”

Shin added that an analysis of cases over the past year shows closed social media platforms have been exploited as tools for these crimes, causing damage that is both widespread and long-lasting.

“The institute will continue to strengthen victim-centered support systems and expand comprehensive response capabilities, including through technological advances,” she said.