South Korea‘s police are planning to explore the possibility of cooperating with France and international organizations in investigating Telegram, according to Yonhap news agency.
Earlier, it was reported that South Korean police had launched an investigation into Telegram, following France’s lead, for crimes related to deepfake sexual content.
“We plan to explore the possibility of conducting an investigation into Telegram in cooperation with French investigative authorities and various international organizations,” the police said.
The investigation is being conducted on suspicions of facilitating crimes, including the distribution of fake sexual video materials and other offenses via eight chatbots on Telegram and several group chats. The possibility of bringing charges of complicity and abetting against the creators of deepfake bots is also being considered.
Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, was detained at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on August 24. The Paris Prosecutor’s Office later announced that he was detained for questioning in connection with a case filed on July 8 against an unnamed individual suspected of 12 crimes.
French authorities are also investigating Durov’s alleged involvement in concealing data on illegal activities on the network, including the distribution of child pornography and drug trafficking. He is also suspected of refusing to cooperate with authorities.
Durov was released on bail on Wednesday evening, which he must soon deposit (5 million euros). He is banned from leaving France and is required to report to the police twice a week.
