Deepfake Interest in South Korea: A Temporal Analysis of Google Trends from 2017 to 2024

Deepfake technology, which utilizes artificial intelligence to generate hyper-realistically manipulated videos, images, texts, and audio, has garnered significant public and academic interest. The proliferation of deepfakes, especially in non-consensual pornography, financial fraud and political misinformation, has sparked ethical, moral, legal, and security debates worldwide. While existing research predominantly focuses on deepfake detection, legal frameworks, and their potential impact on the democratic process, few studies have examined public interest in deepfakes and the factors influencing search behavior. This study addresses this gap by analyzing public interest in deepfakes in South Korea, using Google Trends data from January 2017 to August 2024. This timeframe is particularly significant as it encompasses the initial emergence of deepfake technology in 2017 and its increasing use in fraudulent and non-consensual content in South Korea. The country represents a unique case due to its global leadership in deepfake-related searches, widespread consumption of non-consensual sexual deepfakes, and frequent occurrence of deepfake fraud. This study employs dictionary-based text analysis to categorize search queries into three main themes: sexual content, techniques for creating deepfakes, and methods for accessing deepfake materials. The findings indicate that 77.81% of searches are related to non-consensual sexual content, primarily targeting female celebrities. Contrary to global trends, political deepfakes did not significantly influence search patterns in South Korea. These insights highlight the urgent need for stronger regulatory frameworks and technological interventions to mitigate the harms associated with deepfakes.

LINK: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/ikad/issue/90816/1570974

Influence of Various Media Sources on the Fear of Terrorism: A Comparative Study of Japan and Taiwan

Abstract: 

This study examines the relationship between media consumption and fear of terrorism in Japan and Taiwan, two countries that experience low exposure to terrorism yet exhibit high levels of fear regarding terrorism. The analysis investigates the effects of active media sources (such as newspapers and the internet) and passive media sources (such as television, radio, and social media) on fear of terrorism, using data from the seventh wave of the World Values Survey. Ordered Logistic Regression (OLR) analysis was conducted on data from 1,273 participants in Japan and 1,221 participants in Taiwan. The findings indicate that active media sources do not have a statistically significant effect on fear of terrorism in either country. In contrast, passive media sources are positively associated with increased fear of terrorism, with this effect being statistically stronger in Japan than in Taiwan. Additionally, demographic factors such as gender, age, and education influence fear of terrorism. In both countries, women report higher levels of fear regarding terrorism than men. In Japan, younger individuals exhibit lower levels of fear regarding terrorism. Education level significantly impacts fear of terrorism in Taiwan, where lower education levels are associated with higher fear regarding terrorism. These findings provide valuable insights into how media consumption and demographic factors influence perceptions and fears of terrorism in low-risk countries such as Taiwan and Japan. 

Keywords: Fear of Terrorism, Japan, Taiwan, Active Media Sources, Passive Media Sources.

LINK: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/4228513

Exploring the Reflection of the Definitional Problem of Terrorism in Public Opinion Using Wikipedia Data

Abstract

Terrorism is a global issue, particularly after the 9/11 attacks in the United States. Despite the global attention, there is no common definition of terrorism, as what one country defines as a terrorist is considered a freedom fighter by another. However, the impact of a country's attitude towards such organizations on people's perceptions and discourse has not been thoroughly explored. Accordingly, this study examines Wikipedia content related to the People's Defense Units (YPG), an organization recognized as a terrorist entity by some countries but not defined as such by others. Turkish Wikipedia content about YPG, representing Türkiye, which recognizes YPG as a terrorist organization, is compared with English Wikipedia content about YPG, a viewpoint held by countries like the USA and the UK, which do not recognize it as a terrorist organization. Additionally, Turkish and English content related to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), recognized as a terrorist organization worldwide, is also examined using the sentiment analysis. The analysis reveals that the dominant sentiment in Turkish Wikipedia content related to YPG, representing Türkiye that recognizes YPG as a terrorist organization, is negative, while the dominant sentiment in English Wikipedia content is positive. Conversely, the prevalent emotion in both Turkish and English Wikipedia content about ISIS, universally acknowledged as a terrorist organization, is negative. In summary, the study finds that the attitudes and opinions of countries towards an organization are reflected in society, and the public's attitude towards the organization in the country they reside in also influences the discourse about that organization.

LINK: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ijshs/issue/89666/1614095