Deepfakes are a growing concern in the entertainment industry as many female stars find themselves victims of edited, explicit photos and videos. Thankfully, companies are taking action to address this issue and protect their artists.
Yesterday (30th June 2025, Monday), BELIFT LAB shared an update on the fan communication app Weverse regarding the legal cases involving the K-pop girl group ILLIT (아일릿). The group and the agency have been regularly filing lawsuits against individuals who have been sexually harassing the members. In some cases, the individuals have also been creating deepfake content of the girls and spreading them online.
However, in a recent update, BELIFT LAB revealed that some of the perpetrators have been referred to the prosecution and sentenced to prison. The agency wrote, “The identities of the suspects and the details of the charges have already been confirmed, and they have been referred to the prosecution.” While the videos were allegedly distributed through anonymous platforms, the label was able to track the perpetrators through international judicial cooperation.
Moving forward, BELIFT LAB will continue to take action against sexual harassment of their artists, writing, “There will be no settlements or leniency for acts such as spreading false information, defamation, or sexual harassment. We want to make it clear once again that we are taking all possible legal measures.” The agency also promised to continue taking action based on fan reports and internally gathered evidence.
Fans have reacted to the news, expressing relief that the perpetrators have received punishment. Some also expressed concern towards the ILLIT members, noting the stress of being sexually harassed. Others also hope for many more K-pop agencies to take similar action because deepfakes are a rampant issue in the industry and are affecting many female idols, including TWICE and BLACKPINK.
We’re glad that BELIFT LAB is taking action towards these criminals, and we hope more agencies will do so as well to protect their stars. What are your thoughts on this?
