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DEEPFAKE CRISIS NEWS

A 13-year- old girl in Seoul, South Korea got a message from a friend: REMOVE ALL YOUR PHOTOS SHOWING YOUR FACE. DEEPFAKE IS SPREADING. She immediate set all her SNS accounts to private, but feared that her photographs may have already used for illicit deepfake images. Females of all age groups are anxious and terrorized about digital sex crimes adversely affecting their lives. The Daily Chosun newspaper reported that in the past three years, 68.6 percent of deepfake creators and distributors were teenagers. They target fellow students and female teachers. Educators are trying to root out the problem but teens are savvy about using encrypted chat rooms. What happens next is worse: bullies threaten the deepfake victims with exposing the deepfakes to a wider audience - - - blackmailing them to do real porn or pay them to stop. Some think it is just a game to them, but it is a crime that can have a five year prison term for a conviction.

The scope of the problem is staggering.

South Korea's latest major social problem is universal: deep fake pornography. Government officials cite the Telegram messaging app being used to create and share fake, sexually explicit images of unsuspecting women and children. After a long struggle to stamp out molka - - secretly filmed material of a sexual nature - - South Korea is now battling a wave of deepfake images. “Many victims are minors, and most perpetrators have also been identified as teenagers, ” President Yoon said. One Telegram chatroom has attracted about 220,000 members who create and share deepfake images by doctoring photographs of women and girls. South Korean media said the victims include university students, teachers and military personnel. Another chat room, active since 2020 with around 1,200 participants, was used to share sexually explicit images featuring digitally altered faces of female Inha University students. Participants also shared personal information of victims, such as phone numbers and addresses. The police have identified four victims whose photos were shared in the chat room and they are investigating the users and distributors of this content. Victims have stressed privacy, security, reputation and mental health issues and concerns.

The public is stunned by the nature and extent of these crimes, including teenage perpetrators who face school expulsion and possible 5 year jail sentences if convicted. However, legal scholars think the law will not punish those who merely view the images which adds to the outrage.

Telegram is an encrypted messaging and file sharing application platform. This week, the French government arrested Pavel Durov, its CEO, for failing to monitor and restrict communications demanded by the government. Paris prosecutors that he was detained for “running an online platform that allows illicit transactions, child pornography, drug trafficking and fraud, as well as the refusal to communicate information to authorities, money laundering and providing cryptographic services to criminals. ” There is no evidence that Durov or his company was aware or participated in these alleged activities.

And here lies the biggest legal issue. Telegram is a communication platform. It does not monitor or control user messages. The end-to-end encrypted communication system is a legal business which legitimate customers who need confidential messages such as between attorneys and their clients; medical doctors and patients; business employees with trade secret plans; financial security firms and clients, etc. Apple still refuses police requests to unlock encrypted iPhones because of its privacy and security promises to its customers. Past precedent may shed light on the problem: the Sony VCR court cases where the courts ruled that VCR makers could not be liable for copyright infringement done by users of their technology since there were legal, non-infringing uses for the products. The blame comes down to the users conduct and not the manufacturer's product technology.

There are ways for prosecutors to trace encrypted activities. In the last few years, US officials traced and seized $3.36 billion in dark web cryptocurrency allegedly tied to illegal activities. IP addresses are like fingerprints; Bitcoin wallets like street addresses. It just takes a lot of time and effort by law enforcement. However, everyone agrees secure encryption is vital in regular banking, business and government transactions. The more the world relies on technology, the more the technology will be abused.

The perversion culture keeps on growing. According to various sources including victims, it was revealed that in order to gain access to these Telegram rooms, one must submit a set of photos of any girl or woman around themselves, such as classmates, siblings, or friends, and provide the girl's personal details. Given South Korea's current population, this means that one in 120 men may be participating in these misogyny rooms. Some of these rooms revolve around humiliating one's family members by taking photos or videos of oneself inappropriately touching one's sister or mother. An account called Queenarchive1 on X was one of the first few to expose the matter. It posted screenshots of such telegram rooms. In the screenshot, a cringey perpetrator posted a video of themselves lifting their younger sister's skirt and touching them inappropriately when they were sleeping. These matters have been reported to the police for further investigation.

After the mass protest of K-pop fandoms against idol deepfakes, JYP Entertainment released its official statement and warned violators. On Aug. 31, 2024, JYP Entertainment, the agency of TWICE, ITZY, and NMIXX revealed its strong response to deepfake videos involving its girl groups. Through the artists' fan communities, the label stated: We are seriously taking the recent spread of deepfake (AI-generated) videos targeting our artists. This is blatantly an illegal act, and we are currently in the process of collecting all related evidence to pursue the strongest legal action without leniency together with a specialized law firm. We want to emphasize that we will absolutely not tolerate any acts that violate the rights of our artists, and will deal with them resolutely to the end. This deepfake controversy started when a supposed list of idols who were victims of deepfake R-19 videos was shared on X (Twitter). Among the 200+ female stars named were members of TWICE, ITZY, and NMIXX. An artist's reputation is their Asian career.

The Korea Times reported Deepfake map made by a middle school student goes viral nationwide. As reports of deepfake sex crimes spread in Korea, a deepfake map, which displays the current status of allegedly affected schools has gone viral. The map shows the locations of middle and high schools and universities in Korea that are believed to have been affected by deepfake crimes with the list of such schools. The website is also linked to the website of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Security Support Center, which provides anonymous counseling to victims of digital sex crimes. As of the end of August, 2024, over 3 million online users visited the site and more than 500 schools were registered on the map. The deepfake map creator is known to be a male student who is a freshman in high school. In an interview with local media, he said he was inspired by a map that tracked infected people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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BELLY OF THE BEAST INTERNET

With fame, comes controversy. Jimmy Donaldson is the most successful YouTube creator with more than 300 million subscribers. His channel, Mr. Beast, has spawned a high value, high stakes empire that includes high prize pools for stunt game shows to global charity work. But a sudden rush of negative stories have hit the media that puts the spotlight on Donaldson, his company, employees and mission.

It took a New York Times article to fuel the fire of controversy. The Times reported major health and safety concerns on Mr. Beast's latest big budget creation for Amazon Prime. The show would have challengers competing for a $5 million prize. However, participants interviewed said the filming conditions were terrible and the scope of the project was bigger than expected leading to chaotic and ill-prepared staff. People stated that upon arrival at the site, everything they brought was taken away including cellphones, medicine and sanitary supplies. They also had to sign non-disclosure agreements. During the filming, they were not fed and medical supplies were not given to those in need.

Amazon billed this production as a family friendly show. However, the behind-the-scenes commentary puts a different light on Mr. Beast's operations. Former participants and crew members reported dangerous stunts and insufficient safety measures during production. During production, multiple participants were admitted to a hospital in Las Vegas due to a lack of food and water. Mr.Beast acknowledged these concerns and promised to improve safety protocols. YouTuber Rosanna Pansino went through the entire case in a short video. The controversy raised questions about the ethics of extreme content creation and the responsibility of content creators to ensure the safety of their team and participants.

But that story was the tip of the iceberg.

This included a YouTube video from an anonymous person describing themselves as a former Mr.Beast employee who discussed their discomfort with a YouTube channel of Mr.Beast's size actively promoting itself and trying to garner loyalty from an audience that includes a lot of children. The video describes Mr.Beast as “a fraud” and says that his giveaways are often a game of smoke and mirrors designed to excite and entice children. The video also mentioned a time that Donaldson courted controversy by encouraging customers to volunteer and stock, organize, and monitor the shelves for his Feastables chocolate to ensure the promotion was as successful as possible. The alleged former employee, who maintained their anonymity by posting under the handle DogPack404, said in an X post that the Mr.Beast corporation had sent them a cease and desist over this video.

DogPack stated that Jimmy would fake his YouTube videos, mistreat his employees, and create a toxic work environment. Current employees quickly came to Mr.Beast's defense, stating that DogPack404's claims were baseless and stemmed from their erratic behavior, which led to their dismissal. Jake Weddle, an ex-writer for the channel, was featured in DogPack's second video about Mr.Beast and shared an emotional story about the alleged mistreatment and physical pain he faced while participating in a challenge that never saw the light of day.

As for Mr.Beast's popular game show-style contest videos, the video claims that contestants are often sourced from Donaldson's social and professional circles, and that major parts of the festivities are staged to make for a better product. A current Mr.Beast employee posted on X to debunk the claims made in this video.

Also, a clip of Mr.Beast from 2017 resurfaced, wherein the YouTuber made allegedly homophobic and racist remarks. Despite these clips being from years ago, they re-ignited debates about accountability and the long-term impact of a creator's past actions. Mr.Beast issued an apology, stating that he deeply regretted his past behavior and had grown since then. However, the controversy remained a significant blemish on his otherwise positive public image.

Another controversy surfaced involving a former associate. Ava Kris Tyson, a former Mr.Beast associate, was charged with allegations of grooming an inappropriate relationship with a minor and purchasing inappropriate artwork from controversial artist Shadman. This allegation caused a massive public outrage on the internet. Mr.Beast responded by cutting all ties with Tyson and launching an independent investigation into the allegations. Tyson denied the accusations but chose to step away from the public eye to focus on her personal life and mental health.

Considering the allegations of a “toxic work environment,” Mr.Beast ordered a full assessment of his internal work culture to find the root cause of these problems. A confidential memo revealed plans to hire a chief human resources officer and implement company-wide sensitivity training. The expanded investigation highlighted potential deeper issues within the company, reflecting the challenges of managing a rapidly growing YouTube empire.

It is not unusual for sudden stardom and wealth to create controversies. It seems that the Mr.Beast empire needs more adult supervision in its daily operations. When successful creators make it big, content creation becomes a business that needs to be run like a business. It is doubtful that Mr.Beast will be canceled from YouTube or have collabs and sponsorships taken away. But it time to give a full accounting and explanation for all these events.

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QUICK BYTES CYBERCULTURE

FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Two journalists who led a pro-democracy newspaper in Hong Kong have been found guilty of sedition. Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, two editors at the now-defunct Stand News media outlet, could now face a maximum jail term of two years. This is the first sedition case against journalists in Hong Kong since the territory's handover from Britain to China in 1997. Rights groups have condemned the verdict, with Reporters without Borders calling on Hong Kong to “stop its nefarious campaign against press freedom.” During the British turnover of Hong Kong to mainland China, it was agreed that Hong Kong would continue to operate as a democratic and free territory for at least 40 years. China quickly violated that accord by purging public officials, protesters and student activists. Free speech and self-determination have been outlawed in Hong Kong. No wonder, residents who can afford to leave are doing so in droves.

PAY TO PLAY. The NCAA-college athletes antitrust settlement is nearing approval, but the National College Players Association (NCPA) announced it opposes the multi-billion dollar settlement. The NCPA, a pro-labor union membership organization started in 2001 (it is not a union because the players are not employees), is against the approval of the settlement terms, most notably citing the agreement's intent to curtail the millions of dollars flowing to athletes from booster-led NIL collectives. The agreement, reached in May, is a two-part settlement: It would deliver nearly $2.8 billion in back damages to former athletes and it ushers into college athletics a new compensation model by permitting schools to directly share revenue with athletes totaling more than $20 billion over the next decade. College sports lost its amateur status a long time ago. College sports is now a big money, professional sports league.

TIKTOK TROUBLE. A US appeals court has revived a lawsuit against TikTok by the mother of a 10-year-old girl who died after taking part in a viral blackout challenge in which users of the social media platform were dared to choke themselves until they passed out. While a federal law typically shields Internet companies from lawsuits over content posted by users, the Philadelphia based appeals court ruled the law does not bar Nylah Anderson's mother from pursuing claims that TikTok's algorithm recommended the challenge to her daughter. The court said that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 only immunizes information provided by third parties and not recommendations TikTok itself made via an algorithm underlying its platform. With the rise of AI and recommendation programs (especially for targeting advertising) this is a major setback for all social media platforms.

IG PAYS. It is well known that celebrities can make a lot of money promoting products in Instagram posts. But how much? It is reported that BLACKPINK's Jennie can make as much as $511,000 on a single post. But that only places her 36th on the 2024 IG Rich List. Number one is global soccer star Ronaldo who could earn more than $3.4 million per post. It shows that popularity continues to bank.

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VIRTUAL IDOLS BUSINESS

Naevis, the SM Entertainment's virtual idol creation is set to make its debut on September 10 with the single “Done.”

K-pop continues to trend globally. Major groups hit the Billboard charts. Loyal fan bases gawk and scream at their idol's every move. But big entertainment companies are seeing their sweat labor trainee contracts come under fire for labor violations. When idols get into legal trouble, the reputation hit to profit margins is major. The running joke is that Korean music producers would like all the benefits of pop groups without the complicated human element (like paying them for their work or complaining about their work conditions). Naevis will be largely generative AI and it is predicted that the technology will spread to more AI idols since K-pop companies adore the idea these AI creations carry low human risk because they're completely under the control of the company (and the companies have total control over their visuals and “body type.”) The questions are many: will real singers be cut out of the creative process and will the public accept fake idols when part of the fandom is the fantasy of meeting and loving a real person?

Since the Japanese virtual singer Hatsune Miku gained fame in 2007 with her bright blue hair and unique dance moves, it has been 17 years of continuous development. Through software, Miku has amassed over 100,000 songs and continues to feature in various collaborations. She has performed live using 3D projection technology since the summer of 2009. She has also collaborated with fashion brands, famous singers, and was even chosen as a performer for Coachella 2020 before the festival was canceled due to the pandemic.

As Kbizoom reported, the popularity of Hatsune Miku has led to the creation of similar virtual idols, such as Luo Tianyi and the virtual girl group KD/A from China. The 3D virtual idol image has become more vivid thanks to technologies like motion capture that create virtual idols using optical and inertial data. The main benefit of this method is the increased sensitivity and accuracy of the images, allowing MV (music videos) of virtual idols to easily reach 100 million views on YouTube -- a feat that many real artists still aspire to.

In Thailand, a fully AI-based virtual singer named VAVA frequently releases vibrant and visually appealing music videos. The company behind VAVA has created an image of her as a real music star, complete with a social media account updating her life, such as her living space, recording sessions, and coffee outings.

It is the immersion of youth culture in virtual worlds that may drive growth in the AI idol. Japan already had a deep connection to anime before Miku burst on the scene. It was an easy transition to support an anime singer as well as regular anime characters. But there will be a fork in the road where hologram technology will create stage performances equal to humans; then which stage will the public support? Real singers or AI idols?

iToons

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FOUND BUT NOT LOST ON THE INTERNET

A sinkhole swallows a car in western Seoul. Two elderly passengers were hurt. This photograph reminds us of a perfect matchbox package but in real life.

Source: Korea JoongAng Daily

Humans will never stop being Weird. We understand that people can be obsessive about things. But we recently learned that hobby horse is a sport with adult participants. What is the childhood dream of owning a real horse have to do running around a park with a broom stick between your legs? In some respect, it is cheaper than owning a real horse.

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

In Missouri, people found a bald eagle in distress. It could not fly. It was taken to a nature center for examination and diagnosis. America's symbol was found to be symptomatic of US culture: it was too fat to fly. It had recently eaten a raccoon. It gorged itself into temporary obesity.

Source: facebook/various sources

For the back-to-school shopping parent who wants to embarrass their kid: the tortoise shell backpack. Man, that back pack will not fit in any locker. Maybe the kid should wear it all the time to avoid being shoved into a locker.

Source: neatorama

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