Govt. designates groups to aid digital sex crime victims to take down abusive materials

A list of designated institutions and organizations that will aid digital sex crime victims in taking down abusive materials starting Jan. 1, 2023. (The Korea Herald)

Korea Communications Commission designated 17 institutions Tuesday, to take down sexually abusive material distributed online on behalf of the victims, at request.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family defines digital sex crime as taking photos or videos of a person's body or part of the body without consent with cameras or any other digital devices, as well as distributing, threatening to distribute, downloading, displaying, or buying and selling the illegally captured material, and invading or suppressing other's sexual rights and fundamental human rights.

Online sexual abusive material includes, but is not limited to: 1. Illegally filmed material through spy cameras 2. Synthesized or edited materials, such as Deepfake 3. Child and youth sexual abuse material produced through threats, coercion, grooming, etc., 4. Non-consensually distributed videos

The designated institutions and organizations on the list include the Seoul Foundation of Women & Family, Busan Women and Family Development Institute, and Gyeonggido Women & Family Foundation all of whom have been handpicked at the recommendation of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and operate in cities and provinces across the nation.

These institutions will be in commission starting Jan. 1 2023 and run through the end of the year, and the Korea Communications Commission plans to push for a revision of related laws to expand the designated institutions for removal of online sex crime material.

By Park Soong-joo(soongjoopark@heraldcorp.com)