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"My body is not your Porn": Identifying Trends of Harm and Oppression through a Sociotechnical Genealogy of Digital Sexual Violence in South Korea

Inha Cha, Yeonju Jang, Haesoo Kim, Joo Young Park, Seora Park, EunJeong Cheon

TL;DR

This paper presents four eras of image-based DSV in South Korea, spanning from the early internet era of the 1990s to the deepfake scandals in the mid-2020s, and elucidate forms and characteristics of DSV cases in each era, tracing how entrenched misogyny is reconfigured and amplified through evolving technologies, alongside shifting legislative measures.

Abstract

Ever since the introduction of internet technologies in South Korea, digital sexual violence (DSV) has been a persistent and pervasive problem. Evolving alongside digital technologies, the severity and scale of violence have grown consistently, leading to widespread public concern. In this paper, we present four eras of image-based DSV in South Korea, spanning from the early internet era of the 1990s to the deepfake scandals in the mid-2020s. Drawing from media coverage, legal documents, and academic literature, we elucidate forms and characteristics of DSV cases in each era, tracing how entrenched misogyny is reconfigured and amplified through evolving technologies, alongside shifting legislative measures. Taking a genealogical approach to read prominent cases of different eras, our analysis identifies three constitutive and interconnected dimensions of DSV: (1) the homo-social fabrication of "obscenity", wherein victims' imagery becomes collectively framed as obscene through participatory practices in male-dominant networks; (2) the increasing imperceptibility of violence, as technologies foreclose victims' ability to perceive harm; and (3) the commercialization of abuse through decentralized economic infrastructures. We suggest future directions for CSCW research, and further reflect on the value of the genealogical method in enabling non-linear understanding of DSV as dynamically evolving sociotechnical configurations of harm.

"My body is not your Porn": Identifying Trends of Harm and Oppression through a Sociotechnical Genealogy of Digital Sexual Violence in South Korea

TL;DR

This paper presents four eras of image-based DSV in South Korea, spanning from the early internet era of the 1990s to the deepfake scandals in the mid-2020s, and elucidate forms and characteristics of DSV cases in each era, tracing how entrenched misogyny is reconfigured and amplified through evolving technologies, alongside shifting legislative measures.

Abstract

Ever since the introduction of internet technologies in South Korea, digital sexual violence (DSV) has been a persistent and pervasive problem. Evolving alongside digital technologies, the severity and scale of violence have grown consistently, leading to widespread public concern. In this paper, we present four eras of image-based DSV in South Korea, spanning from the early internet era of the 1990s to the deepfake scandals in the mid-2020s. Drawing from media coverage, legal documents, and academic literature, we elucidate forms and characteristics of DSV cases in each era, tracing how entrenched misogyny is reconfigured and amplified through evolving technologies, alongside shifting legislative measures. Taking a genealogical approach to read prominent cases of different eras, our analysis identifies three constitutive and interconnected dimensions of DSV: (1) the homo-social fabrication of "obscenity", wherein victims' imagery becomes collectively framed as obscene through participatory practices in male-dominant networks; (2) the increasing imperceptibility of violence, as technologies foreclose victims' ability to perceive harm; and (3) the commercialization of abuse through decentralized economic infrastructures. We suggest future directions for CSCW research, and further reflect on the value of the genealogical method in enabling non-linear understanding of DSV as dynamically evolving sociotechnical configurations of harm.
Paper Structure (24 sections, 2 figures, 1 table)

This paper contains 24 sections, 2 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. Digital and Technologically-facilitated Sexual Violence
  4. Image-based Sexual Abuse
  5. Misogyny and Gender-based Violence in South Korea
  6. Methodology
  7. Data Collection
  8. Analysis
  9. Positionality of Research Team
  10. Four Eras of DSV: A Case Study of Image-based Sexual Abuse in South Korea
  11. Era 1. Pre- and Early 2000s: The Emergence of Intimate Imagery Circulation through PC Communication Networks
  12. Era 2. Mid 2000s to Mid 2010s: Spycam Filming in Public Spaces and Distribution through File-Sharing Platforms
  13. Soranet and Participatory Cultures of Consumption
  14. Webhard Cartels and the Commercialization of Nonconsensual Images
  15. Era 3. Late 2010s: Organized Sextortion Targeting Vulnerable Minors through Social Media and Encrypted Messaging Services
  16. ...and 9 more sections

Figures (2)

  • Figure 1: In a Telegram group chat suspected to include active-duty soldiers, female soldiers were referred to as "military supplies," and requests for victim photos to be used in deepfake crimes were described as "tribute forms."
  • Figure 2: A Telegram room with over 220,000 participants was involved in deepfake sexual exploitation. The platform utilized an AI bot that could generate deepfake sexual content within 5 to 7 seconds when a photo of a woman was uploaded.