South Korean university adds anti-deepfake protection to graduation photos

Seoul National University has embedded its graduation photographs with technology intended to protect them from deepfake abuse, the Korea Herald reported, according to the South China Morning Post. The measure follows a scandal two years ago in which portraits of female graduates were used to create sexually explicit manipulated images. The university used StealCut Protect, a system developed by a start-up founded by SNU alumni.

The technology was provided to the university free of charge, according to the supplied material. It was reportedly the first time the system had been used for a university graduation album in South Korea. The available report does not explain how the protection works, how many photographs were treated or whether the system has been adopted by other institutions.

It identifies the technology’s purpose as making images more difficult to misuse in deepfake content. The university’s action places image protection directly into the production of the graduation album, rather than relying only on later reporting or removal of manipulated material.