Telegram Accused of Aiding Sexual Crimes

The South Korean police have accused Telegram of aiding sexual crimes and have initiated an investigation, reports kommersant.ru citing Yonhap. The law enforcement agencies intend to cooperate with France, where recently the company's founder Pavel Durov was detained and subsequently released.

Woo Jong-Soon, head of the South Korean National Police Agency's investigation department, stated that Telegram is not providing the necessary information for the investigation, such as user account details. He noted that similar challenges have been faced by authorities in other countries, including the United States.

"We have our methods and are doing everything possible to conduct the investigation. Taking this opportunity, we will work in cooperation with the French investigative bodies and various international organizations," the department head said at a press conference.

According to the agency, local police are examining eight Telegram bots that create so-called 'deepfakes,' as well as studying group chats that, in their opinion, disseminate compromising materials. It has been reported that within just four days, from August 26 to 29, 88 reports were received regarding 'deepfakes' used for sexual offenses, resulting in the identification of 24 suspects. No information about these individuals is being released.

Durov was arrested in Paris on August 24 and faced charges on six counts related to fraudulent activities on Telegram and his refusal to cooperate with French authorities. He was released on August 28 under judicial supervision after posting a bail of 5 million euros. According to the local newspaper Liberation, during the interrogation, Pavel Durov stated that he had communicated and cooperated with French intelligence services.