Deepfake Anxiety Spreads at Jeju Schools


This is a post from an online community frequently used by parents.


The list claims that students from these schools have been victims of deepfake technology, with child sexual abuse material being made based on photos uploaded to social media.

Of the shared content, there are even specific school names associated with students accused of producing and distributing these unlawful videos.


The schools in question have denied these claims, asserting that the widely shared post lacks verification.

Currently, there are no known cases that have been officially referred to law enforcement.

School Official
I've only heard the term 'deepfake' on the news; we've never encountered it at our school. Although we discussed other matters earlier, this is the first time that this issue has been brought up at our school.

However, anxiety surrounding deepfakes continues to grow.

Due to worries about falling prey to deepfake content, some students are opting to remove online photos and deactivate their social media accounts.

INTERVIEW
Hong Da-eun / 3rd year student, Jeju Girls' High School
My friends and teachers are all saying that there's chaos right now because personal information from our schools is being exposed, so they're advising us to be careful.

Sharing social media accounts of individuals accused of operating deepfake sites or engaging in deepfake creation, without fact-checking these claims, can result in penalties. These punishments are comparable to those imposed on the actual creators and distributors of unlawful deepfake content.


Amidst persistent anxiety, schools have received directives from the Provincial Office of Education to enhance preventive education. This initiative aims to tackle crimes related to the misuse of AI technology and mitigate subsequent harm.