South Korean lawmakers passed a bill on Thursday to criminalize the possession or viewing of sexually explicit deepfake images and videos, with penalties including imprisonment and fines. The legislation comes in response to public outcry over Telegram group chats where illegal deepfakes were created and widely shared.
Under the new law, anyone caught purchasing, saving, or watching such content could face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won ($22,600). This law will raise the maximum sentence for creating and distributing sexually explicit deepfakes to seven years in prison.
The bill now awaits approval from President Yoon Suk Yeol to be enacted.
