According to the Gyeonggi Northern Police Agency on the 11th, a total of eight suspects have been arrested for producing or distributing fake deepfake videos of HYBE artists. Among them, six individuals who operated Telegram chat rooms to create and share these fake videos have been detained.
This successful operation was made possible through the establishment of a dedicated hotline between HYBE and the Gyeonggi Northern Police Agency, allowing for close cooperation. Previously, on February 25th, HYBE and the police agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to combat deepfake crimes. As these crimes have been on the rise, particularly targeting artists, the collaboration was set up to prevent harm and ensure a swift response.
HYBE reported the illegal videos, which featured the faces of their artists, to the police and provided crucial information for tracking and apprehending the suspects. The Gyeonggi Northern Police Agency, with its expertise in digital crimes, quickly pursued the suspects using the information provided by HYBE, successfully identifying and arresting them.
Fans also played a significant role in the arrest of the deepfake crime suspects. Since September of last year, HYBE has been operating the 'HYBE Artist Rights Violation Report Center' to protect their artists' rights. Through this platform, fans reported posts that defamed the artists, allowing HYBE to quickly become aware of the criminal activities.
HYBE plans to continue working closely with law enforcement to further enhance their artist protection system.
Kim Ho-seung, Chief of the Gyeonggi Northern Police Agency, stated, "Deepfake crimes, which exploit the vulnerabilities of celebrities who may find it difficult to report such incidents, are becoming more prevalent. These crimes are severe as they disrupt the daily lives of victims, and even famous individuals are not exempt. Our agency will continue to track and arrest those involved."
Lee Jae-sang, CEO of HYBE, declared, "We will respond firmly to crimes that infringe on our artists' image rights and honor, adhering to a zero-tolerance, no-settlement policy. We plan to maintain constant monitoring and legal action to prevent similar cases in the future."
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)