The K-pop giant, HYBE, has taken a stronger stance on the dark side of artificial intelligence technologies that create content with malicious intent. More recently, HYBE’s partnership with South Korean law enforcement has led to the apprehension of eight suspects who are believed to have created and circulated deepfake videos of HYBE Music Group artists.
The Problem of the 21st Century: Celebrities and Deepfakes
K-pop idols and global public figures are now becoming easier targets to digitally manipulate through deepfakes, which are images, videos, or audio recorded from real events but altered with the use of AI. Public-facing personas who are celebrities, such as K-pop stars, are already victims of online abuse, and these technologies can be used to make matters even worse.
Battle Against Cybercrime: The HYBE-Police Partnership
In response to this phenomenon, HYBE has established a strategic partnership with the Northern Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency (NGPPA). This partnership was formalised through Memorandums of Understanding entered into in February of 2024 and defines the boundaries of collaboration to mitigate issues of cybercrimes and protect the security of HYBE artists.
Finding the Offenders: Cooperation
The arrests came after an investigation undertaken jointly by HYBE and the NGPPA. Within the scope of the law enforcement investigation, which was aided by information provided by HYBE, the steps of identification and apprehension of the suspected creators and distributors of the deepfake videos were successfully conducted. Additionally, fan reports through the tip line provided via the HYBE Artist Rights Violation Report Centre contributed towards the determination of the investigation’s objectives.
Zero Tolerance: The best policy is no policy.
In his press statement regarding the described manipulative offences, HYBE CEO Jason Jaesang Lee made clear the headquarters’ position concerning such issues. “For crimes that compromise the rights and the reputation of our artists, we will execute their legal portrait rights and take them to court. As a matter of policy, we will have no tolerance and no settlement policy against such affairs,” Lee added, showcasing the strong stance of the company focused towards the abuse of technology such as deepfakes.
Law enforcement issue: relentless pursuit of unlawful justice.
Ho-seung Kim, district chief of the NGPPA, also pointed out how committed HYBE is, stating that law enforcement will actively seek out and prosecute people who commit crimes involving deepfakes. Kim recognised the brutality of these crimes, explaining, “Deepfake is a grave form of crime that has the potential of ruining the daily undertakings of victims, and crimes involving public figures are not any better.”
The impact of deepfakes examines a defamation of character and a potential health hazard.
For victims, especially public figures like celebrities, deepfake videos can be extremely harmful, as their public image can be severely damaged. The act of creating and sharing the altered image can result in torment, slander, and even cause mental anguish.
Fostering the artists: a burden to all.
This partnership of HYBE with the NGPPA signals the possibility of new methods on how to protect artists from violent crimes through preventative measures called proactive in this era of biphasic violence. This joint venture can potentially serve as a model for how entertainment firms can partner with law enforcement to fight cybercrime and protect public figures.
Details Withheld: Frosting the Investigation
As of the source material’s publishing date, the names of the suspects and which of the HYBE artists were affiliates of the deepfakes had not been made public by HYBE. This decision, in all likelihood, is a reflection of the investigation’s progress as well as the need to keep the details private.
The Future of Digital Privacy: An Emerging Threat
The increasing use of deepfakes continues to raise a critical concern around the security and authenticity of content on the internet. As this case illustrates, there is a need for further attention and more passive measures to identify and address digitally altered content. The partnership of HYBE and the law enforcement agencies is paramount in combating the threat posed by deepfakes and protecting people from the misuse of such technology.
