Deepfake, which was developed as an advanced technological tool for entertainment and film products, is now being exploited as a malicious weapon. Some criminals have taken advantage of the faces of famous artists, including BTS, and attached them to sensitive videos.
This not only damages the personal reputation of the artist but also causes serious psychological effects. Even fans are ѕнσ¢кed and expressed confusion when they encounter BTS videos edited by Deepfake.
After many reporting efforts by ARMYs and actions by HYBE and the кσяєαn ρσℓι¢є, a Deepfake crime ring was recently dismantled.
On April 11, the Gyeonggi North Provincial Police Agency officially announced that it had arrested 8 suspects involved in the production and distribution of deepfake videos targeting HYBE artists, including BTS, Seventeen, Le Sserafirm, etc. Of these, 6 were identified as administrators of Telegram chat rooms where content that seriously violated the privacy and honor of artists was spread.
This arrest marks an important breakthrough in the campaign to crack down on digital ѕєχ crimes related to the entertainment industry. This is not only a legal victory, but also a strong affirmation of HYBE and law enforcement agencies in the fιgнт against high-tech crimes.
On HYBE's side, Mr. Lee Jae Sang, CEO of the group, affirmed: "We have no tolerance for any acts that infringe upon the portrait rights and reputation of artists. Every individual who is hurt by deepfake is a reason for us to take stronger action. HYBE is committed to closely monitoring and taking legal action to the end".
"Deepfake crimes that exploit celebrities — who often struggle to report such violations — are spreading rapidly," said Kim Ho Seung, head of the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police. “These videos are a serious offense that can shatter victims’ lives. Even public figures are not immune. We will continue to track and arrest those involved."
It is known that this campaign received strong support from the fan community. Since September 2024, HYBE has launched a unified online portal for reporting violations of artists' rights - a direct communication channel with fans to receive unusual signs, defamatory content, defamation or unauthorized editing of artist images.
In the face of widespread harmful deepfake content, HYBE also proactively signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Gyeonggi North Provincial Police Agency since February this year, establishing a hotline system specializing in receiving, handling and investigating cases related to infringement of artist honor.
Thanks to timely reports from fans, HYBE quickly isolated the distribution points and provided important data through this hotline, helping investigators identify and locate the perpetrators.
This incident is a clear warning to the entire entertainment industry that in the digital age, privacy needs to be protected by concrete actions, not just words. HYBE's success is not only due to internal efforts, but also shows the power of a civilized, sensitive fan community, always ready to stand up to protect idols from bad forces.
This is the time for au∂ιєnces to raise awareness, together say no to sharing, consuming or promoting harmful deepfake content - even if it is a seemingly "harmless" action on social networks.
