Governments, technology companies and survivor support organizations gather in Seoul to tackle technology-facilitated gender-based violence

[Press release]

The 2^nd International Conference on Addressing Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence calls for stronger cross-border cooperation on detection, takedown and survivor support in the age of AI.

Seoul, Republic of Korea – Governments, law enforcement agencies, technology companies and survivor support organizations from across Asia and the Pacific and beyond met in Seoul to strengthen responses to technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), including the rapid spread of AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and deepfakes.

These challenges were at the centre of the 2nd International Conference on Addressing Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence, held on 29 September. The conference brought together some 150 participants, representing governments, the judiciary, international organizations, civil society and the private sector. Sessions examined national responses, regional practices and the role of technology companies.

The conference was convened against the backdrop of a continued rise in TFGBV. According to the Korean National Police Agency, 4,273 cyber sexual violence crimes were recorded in 2025, representing a 19 per cent increase from the previous year. Deepfake-related crimes accounted for the largest share, followed by crimes involving child and youth sexual exploitation material. In 2025 alone, Korea's National Center for Digital Sexual Crime Response provided more than 350,000 support services to 10,637 victims, including more than 318,000 requests for the removal of harmful content. Most of the victims were in their teens and twenties.

Other countries in the region are also seeing a growing online dimension to abuse. In Viet Nam, around 16 per cent of the 9,693 child abuse cases recorded between 2021 and 2025 involved the use of online services, according to Viet Nam's Ministry of Public Security.

"Addressing these challenges requires not only stronger laws and response systems but also coordinated action across sectors and across borders. No single institution or country can respond alone," said Yun Jeong Hwang, Director of the UN Women Knowledge and Partnerships Centre, as she opened the conference.

In her opening remarks, Min-kyong Won, Minister of Gender Equality and Family of Korea, warned that digital sex crimes, including those involving child and youth sexual exploitation material, can cause repeated harm to victims as content is continually shared and reproduced online. "I hope today's discussions will go beyond sharing each country's experience and lead to practical international cooperation," she said.

The conference also considered the regional and global context of the issue. In opening remarks delivered by video, Christine Arab, Regional Director for UN Women Asia and the Pacific, highlighted the close links between technology-facilitated violence and offline abuse, including stalking, physical and sexual violence and, in the most extreme cases, suicide or femicide. "What starts online rarely stays online," she said. Arab cited UN Women's Tipping Point research, which found that 70 per cent of women in the public sphere have experienced online violence in the course of their work. She called on partners to "ensure that technology serves women and girls, rather than being a tool of violence against them."

Participants examined Korea's response, including its whole-of-government support mechanism for victims and the AI-based detection and removal-request systems operated by the Women's Human Rights Institute of Korea. Speakers from the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam presented their national approaches. Thailand's Take It Down measure allows victims to petition a court directly to suspend the dissemination of sexually explicit content and remove it, even before a criminal case is filed. Viet Nam's Ministry of Public Security stressed that takedown is not the end of the response and must be followed by evidence preservation, investigation and support for victims.

Representatives from the International Network of Internet Hotlines (INHOPE), Cloudflare, Microsoft and NAVER outlined their approaches to detection, blocking and reporting, as well as the importance of cooperation among platforms, governments and civil society.

A closing panel brought together experts from Argentina, Korea, Thailand and Viet Nam, including Korea's first state-appointed attorney for crime victims, to discuss how countries and institutions can strengthen cooperation to support survivors.

The conference also highlighted the work of the UN Women Knowledge and Partnerships Centre, which has established the first technical working group in Asia and the Pacific on measuring technology-facilitated violence against women, bringing together 13 countries from the region. Beginning in 2027, addressing technology-facilitated violence will become a central focus of the Centre's work, with an emphasis on survivor-centred responses, digital accountability and regional cooperation, drawing on lessons from Korea's policy and technology responses.

The conference was co-hosted by the UN Women Knowledge and Partnerships Centre, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of Korea and the Women's Human Rights Institute of Korea.