"Not in Our Class, Right?"... Baffling School Response to Deepfake Sexual Crimes

Survey on Telegram Usage Related to Deepfake
Real Name and Phone Number Provided? ... Flood of Criticism from Netizens

As the fear of so-called 'deepfake' sex crimes, involving the synthesis and distribution of obscene images on acquaintances' faces, spreads nationwide, a school is facing criticism from netizens for conducting a 'deepfake usage survey' under real names.

A survey form titled 'Use of Telegram related to Deepfake' recently conducted at a school. [Photo source=Online community archive]

On the 29th, several online communities posted a message titled "How to catch students using deepfake at school." The post included the phrase "Practically a blindfolded confession" along with a photo. The revealed photo shows a survey sheet from a recent school survey titled "Telegram usage related to deepfake." The survey requires respondents to indicate usage and provide their name and phone number.

Netizens who saw the photo reacted with disbelief. They expressed anger with comments such as "Are we sure no one in our class uses it?", "Who would confess when they have to reveal their name and phone number?", "Is this really the way to handle it now?", "It's so absurd I can't even speak," "Reveal which school and who planned this," "It seems like just a show to prevent the school from having to find the culprit later," "Should we be thankful they at least did a survey," and "Even if the perpetrator is found, it's obvious how they will be dealt with."

This is not the first time the school has been embroiled in controversy over handling deepfake sex crimes. On the 26th, an online community post claimed that at a school where victims of deepfake production and distribution occurred, only female students were separately called to the school auditorium and specially warned, drawing criticism from netizens. The post titled "Only female students called to the auditorium at the school where deepfake broke out" stated, "At the school where deepfake incidents occurred, only female students were called to the auditorium to be cautious. (While the female students were called to the auditorium) the male students played soccer," expressing anger. The author wrote, "What exactly are women supposed to be careful about? Don't go out late at night, don't wear short clothes, don't drink a lot, don't go to clubs, always wear undershorts even in midsummer, and so on. Even if you are careful, they find someone just standing still and make deepfake photos. How much more careful are we supposed to be?"

Meanwhile, according to data submitted by the National Police Agency to Yang Bu-nam, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 30th, a total of 527 victims of deepfake crimes were reported over the past three years from 2021 to last year. Among them, teenage victims accounted for 315 (59.8%), far exceeding half. This is a significantly higher number compared to 90 victims in their 20s, 28 in their 30s, and 6 in their 40s. The number of teenage victims increased sharply from 53 in 2021, 81 in 2022, to 181 last year. Most perpetrators were also teenagers. According to data obtained by Jo Eun-hee, a member of the People Power Party, through the National Police Agency, there were a total of 120 deepfake crime perpetrators last year, of which 91 (75.8%) were teenagers.