AI · 2026-10-17
Deepfake sex crime content review cases reach 17,378…Surpass last year’s annual total in just eight months
From January to August this year, the number of deepfake sex crime content review cases came to 17,378, surpassing last year’s annual total. About 98.5% of the cases were concentrated in the “other” category, including overseas illegal sites and P2P sites.
The number of review cases involving deepfake sex crime content has risen sharply this year. According to data from the Korea Communications Standards Commission reported by Financial News, 17,378 cases were reviewed from January to August. That is about 10% more than the 15,808 cases recorded for all of last year, meaning this year’s annual pace has already exceeded last year’s total in just eight months.
The upward trend has continued over the past few years. The number of review cases rose sharply from 1,913 in 2021 to 23,109 in 2024. Although it fell to 15,808 last year, it has climbed again this year. However, it is important to note that this figure refers to review cases, not the number of victims or the full scale of videos actually circulated.
What stands out is where these cases are concentrated. In this year’s tally, the “other” category, which includes overseas illegal and pornographic sites as well as peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing sites, accounted for 17,116 cases, or about 98.5% of the total. X recorded 138 cases, while Telegram recorded 124. This suggests that looking at a single social media platform alone is not enough to grasp the full route by which such content spreads.
Illegal videos uploaded on overseas platforms can be more difficult to block, depending on whether the service operator is based in Korea and how quickly it responds to reports and takedown requests. This is a challenge that generally arises when managing online content across borders. Since most of the cases in this latest statistic were classified as “other,” it appears important to examine a wide range of distribution channels alongside platform-specific responses.
At a National Assembly audit, the chairperson of the Korea Communications Standards Commission said the agency would strengthen the effectiveness of removing and blocking illegal information on overseas platforms in order to prevent the spread of illegal filming and deepfake sex crime videos. Rep. Lee Yeon-hee of the Democratic Party of Korea also stressed that, as the number of review cases has already surpassed last year’s annual total, the response system must be checked and efforts to prevent further harm and protect victims must be reinforced.
The key takeaway from this data is not simply that review cases are increasing. In a situation where videos spread through many different routes and overseas sites account for a large share, how quickly and effectively blocking measures and victim protection are carried out remains a major challenge.
The upward trend has continued over the past few years. The number of review cases rose sharply from 1,913 in 2021 to 23,109 in 2024. Although it fell to 15,808 last year, it has climbed again this year. However, it is important to note that this figure refers to review cases, not the number of victims or the full scale of videos actually circulated.
What stands out is where these cases are concentrated. In this year’s tally, the “other” category, which includes overseas illegal and pornographic sites as well as peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing sites, accounted for 17,116 cases, or about 98.5% of the total. X recorded 138 cases, while Telegram recorded 124. This suggests that looking at a single social media platform alone is not enough to grasp the full route by which such content spreads.
Illegal videos uploaded on overseas platforms can be more difficult to block, depending on whether the service operator is based in Korea and how quickly it responds to reports and takedown requests. This is a challenge that generally arises when managing online content across borders. Since most of the cases in this latest statistic were classified as “other,” it appears important to examine a wide range of distribution channels alongside platform-specific responses.
At a National Assembly audit, the chairperson of the Korea Communications Standards Commission said the agency would strengthen the effectiveness of removing and blocking illegal information on overseas platforms in order to prevent the spread of illegal filming and deepfake sex crime videos. Rep. Lee Yeon-hee of the Democratic Party of Korea also stressed that, as the number of review cases has already surpassed last year’s annual total, the response system must be checked and efforts to prevent further harm and protect victims must be reinforced.
The key takeaway from this data is not simply that review cases are increasing. In a situation where videos spread through many different routes and overseas sites account for a large share, how quickly and effectively blocking measures and victim protection are carried out remains a major challenge.
Related search terms
#deepfake sex crime review cases#Korea Communications Standards Commission#illegal deepfake videos#overseas illegal sites#P2P file-sharing sites#Telegram deepfake content#X deepfake content