Your Tech Story

South Korea

South Korea Urges Telegram to Crack Down on Deepfake Sex Crimes

South Korea Urges Telegram to Crack Down on Deepfake Sex Crimes

The president of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, has demanded a thorough inquiry into digital sex offences employing AI-generated content, citing growing concerns over the spread of deepfake pornography. President Yoon underlined during a Cabinet meeting how urgent it is to fight the rapid proliferation of deepfake videos on social media and how anyone might become a victim of these crimes. In addition to looking into and identifying perpetrators, he asked authorities to put in place educational initiatives to promote a more positive internet culture.

Dangerous Distribution of Deep Fake Pornography

South Korea Urges Telegram to Crack Down on Deepfake Sex Crimes

Image Source: newsx.com

Deepfake technology is becoming the main tool for producing sexually explicit content. It uses artificial intelligence to superimpose a person’s face onto another’s body in videos or photographs. The situation in South Korea became even more serious after it was discovered that a Telegram chatroom operating since 2020 was distributing deepfake photos of more than 30 female students from Inha University. Approximately 1,200 people participated in the conversation, which also shared the victims’ addresses and phone numbers.

The problem goes beyond one chat room. There have been reports of similar activity in other Telegram channels associated with other military units and educational institutions, where offenders have created and disseminated deepfake pornography using artificial intelligence systems. Over 100 channels—one with 133,400 subscribers—were found to be involved in the spread of such content when using Telemetrio, a tool for locating Telegram chatrooms.

Government Reaction and Upcoming Initiatives

The Ministry of Education in South Korea has directed regional educational offices to look into and report any instances of deepfake contents that include pupils in response to the situation. The Korea Communications Standards Commission declared that it will intensify its efforts by adding more monitoring personnel to handle situations quickly and establishing a specific reporting channel for deepfake pornography. They are also starting to communicate directly with Telegram in order to address these problems more successfully.

Comparing the government’s campaign against illegal substances to that of digital crimes, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo emphasised the need for tough action against the former. He also advocated for thorough instruction on the dangers of improper usage of digital technology. In order to prevent deepfake sex crimes and advocate for harsher sentences for perpetrators, the Democratic Party of Korea has suggested creating a task team.

Continued Crackdown and Prospects

With the aim of arresting and identifying individuals involved in the creation and dissemination of this material, the Special 7 months of the Deep Fark content crime has begun to be suppressed by the National Police Agency (KNPA). This organization applies laws in cooperation with local, state, and federal institutions, uses deep fake detection tools, and retains other countries as needed.

Cases involving minors will receive extra attention, and the KNPA pledges to execute the law more strictly in these situations.

Deepfake pornography is becoming more and more prevalent in South Korea, which serves as a clear warning about the risks associated with technological advancement and has prompted the government to take swift measures to safeguard digital integrity and protect its residents.

Kakao Founder Arrested in South Korea for Alleged Stock Manipulation

Kakao Founder Arrested in South Korea for Alleged Stock Manipulation

South Korea’s Seoul, Kim Beom-su, the billionaire founder of the South Korean technology company Kakao Corp, was detained on Tuesday after claims that he had manipulated stock prices during the company’s takeover of a K-Pop firm the previous year. The largest messaging service in South Korea, Kakao, is facing its newest legal hurdle following its arrest.

History and Charges

Kakao Founder Arrested in South Korea for Alleged Stock Manipulation

Image Source: techxplore.com

Brian Kim, commonly known as Kim Beom-su, is a significant player in South Korea’s digital sector. Since the debut of the chat app in 2010, he has amassed 86 trillion won ($62 billion) in wealth through the development of Kakao’s affiliate network. The prosecution claims that in order to stop rival Hybe from purchasing SM Entertainment in February of the previous year, Kim artificially raised the stock price of the company. Kim has refuted the allegations, claiming he never gave the command or approved of any unlawful behaviour. He hasn’t been officially charged as of yet.

Court Cases

Kim was issued an arrest warrant by the Seoul Southern District Court due to her perceived flight risk, and also to prevent potential evidence destruction. Prosecutors will conduct more investigation into Kim’s case for up to 20 days in the Seoul Nambu Detention Center before determining whether to file an indictment against him. Kakao’s activities could be greatly impacted by this lawsuit, especially its intentions for international expansion and the investments it makes in artificial intelligence.

Effect on Financial Markets and Kakao

The verdict in Kim’s lawsuit may have an impact on Kakao’s ability to govern KakaoBank Corp., its online banking division. Financial restrictions in South Korea prohibit those guilty of financial misconduct from possessing more than ten percent of a bank. Furthermore, Kakao might come under more regulatory scrutiny, which would make big decisions about investments in AI and international company expansion more difficult. This year, the business intends to launch new AI services. Kakao Corp.’s stock fell 3.4 percent in morning trading after Kim’s detention became public, bringing the company’s year-to-date decrease to 24 percent.

Industry Consequences

Industry insiders caution that Kakao’s long-term goals and strategic ambitions may be compromised by any accusations brought against Kim. With a 24 percent stake, Kim is the biggest shareholder of Kakao Corp., and his legal issues have a negative impact on the company’s future. The internet giant’s growth and innovation efforts could be impeded by the current threat to its ambitious projects, which include new AI services.

 
South Korea's Ambitious $470 Billion Plan to Forge a Global Chipmaking Hub

South Korea’s Ambitious $470 Billion Plan to Forge a Global Chipmaking Hub

South Korea is set to redefine the global semiconductor landscape with an audacious plan involving leading tech giants like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. The government’s unveiling of a groundbreaking initiative on Monday marks a pivotal moment in the race to secure and fortify domestic chip supplies.

In a strategic move, the South Korean government has charted a course for the private sector, beckoning an investment of a staggering 622 trillion won (approximately US$471 billion) in the period leading up to 2047. This colossal sum is slated to fund the establishment of 13 cutting-edge chip plants and three state-of-the-art research facilities. 

Expanding Horizons: From 21 to 34 Fabs

South Korea's Ambitious $470 Billion Plan to Forge a Global Chipmaking Hub

Image Source: interestingengineering.com

The visionary plan is set to transform the South Korean landscape, adding 13 new chip plants and three research facilities to the existing 21 fabs. This expansive network will sprawl across the regions of Pyeongtaek to Yongin, creating the world’s largest chipmaking cluster. By 2030, the area is projected to boast a staggering production capacity of 7.7 million wafers monthly, a testament to the scale of South Korea’s ambitions.

Rapid Evolution from 2023 to 2047

The trajectory of investment has witnessed a remarkable ascent since the initial revelation of Samsung’s and Hynix’s plans in 2023. South Korea’s commitment to fortifying its domestic chip sector has become increasingly evident, with the government and private firms collaborating closely on this critical national imperative. The significance of the chip sector is highlighted by its contribution of approximately 16% to the country’s total exports.

Global Implications

As South Korea enters the fray to establish the preeminent chipmaking hub, global dynamics in the semiconductor industry are poised for significant shifts. The initiative not only underscores the nation’s commitment to technological sovereignty but also sets the stage for increased competition among nations vying for supremacy in the semiconductor realm.

In conclusion, South Korea’s monumental plan to invest $470 billion in creating a sprawling chipmaking ecosystem is a bold step towards securing its position at the forefront of global technological innovation. As the nation embarks on this transformative journey, the ramifications are sure to reverberate across the semiconductor landscape for years to come.

South Korea

South Korea fines Google $32 million for squeezing out rival

The antitrust regulatory body in South Korea has penalized Google which is a subsidiary of Alphabet, about KRW 42.1 billion, 31.88 million USD which is around Rs. 262 Crore for hindering the launch of video games for smartphones on an opponent’s forum.

South Korea
Image Source: bworldonline.com

KFTC (The Korea Fair Trade Commission) stated that Google on Tuesday, by involving video game developers to entirely unveil their titles on Google Play in return for offering in-app publicity around June 2016 and April 2018, increased its dominant market position and harmed the localized app market One Store’s earnings and worth as a platform.

Also Read: Baidu sues Apple, app developers over fake Ernie bot apps

Google stated that it will analyze the Korea Fair Trade Commission’s final verdict before deciding what to do next.

“Google makes substantial investments in the success of developers, and we respectfully disagree with the KFTC’s conclusions”, a spokesperson said.

Source: gadgets360.com

According to the South Korea Fair Trade Commission, the government’s attempts to promote fair markets are a component of the lawsuit against the US tech behemoth.

The antitrust regulator stated that other local companies were also impacted by Google’s conduct, including Netmarble, Nexon, & NCSOFT.

For preventing customizable copies of its Android operating system, Google was heavily fined by the KFTC in 2021 with a huge fine of over 200 billion won.

Top Indian entrepreneurs urged the nation’s competition authority to investigate Google, a few weeks ago for allegedly breaching an antitrust regulation by demanding a hefty service charge for in-app purchases, according to a document.

The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) lawsuit was the newest confrontation between Google & Indian businesses, who have long blasted the US corporation for enforcing unfair business terms and conditions that disadvantage smaller competitors.

Also Read: Amazon plans to trim employee stock awards amid tough economy

“Google’s policy change of charging service fee even on transactions processed by third-party payment processors … has detrimental consequences for users and app developers,” the 15-page confidential March complaint by the Alliance of Digital India Foundation said.

Source: gadgets360.com

Google, which did not respond to inquiries, previously explained that the service charges fund investments within the Google Play app store as well as the Android operating system for smartphones, in order to ensure that it is distributed for free, and includes developer tools as well as analytic services.