South Korean police seek France's cooperation in investigating Telegram

Head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) Kim Bong-sik has announced that the agency sought cooperation from French authorities to investigate the messaging app Telegram for its alleged involvement in the distribution of deepfake pornographic videos.

Kim Bong-sik shared this information during a press meeting, explaining that international judicial cooperation with France may require some time, as it involves procedures through the justice and foreign ministries, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

In August, French prosecutors arrested Telegram's founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, charging him with several offenses, including the dissemination of child abuse images, drug trafficking, and non-compliance with law enforcement requests.

Moreover, the SMPA has formally notified Telegram of its investigation, which began before the indictment concerning its potential role in facilitating deepfake pornography crimes. 

The agency also revealed that its recently established special task force targeting deepfake porn has received 186 cases, with 136 currently under investigation. Notably, 59 out of 84 identified suspects, accounting for 70.2 per cent, are teenagers.

By Naila Huseynova