HYBE to sue cyber wreckers who have attempted to defame the company’s artists

On June 16, 2024, Newsis reporter Lee Jae-hoon wrote via Naver that HYBE has applied to take action against various online users that are causing them defamation. They have reportedly hired 4 USA-based senior law firms to investigate into this matter and take necessary actions.

These “cyber wreckers” or cyberbullies will face charges for trying to slander the artists under HYBE’s umbrella by spreading false and hateful information.

Cyberbullying is where individuals deliberately sabotage someone's online presence, reputation, or digital assets. It is not possible to state the penalty that these individuals/groups might have to face just yet.

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HYBE issues actions against defamers and with legal support from USA-based firms

As of 15th June, industry sources confirmed HYBE has started legal proceedings against at least four social media channels, including "7th Grade Middle School," "Guilty Archive," "Short Station Chief," and "Issue Feed," for defamation and obstruction of business.

This includes overseas platforms such as X and YouTube, which were previously thought to be difficult to litigate against. Until now, even when complaints were filed with domestic authorities, it was challenging to identify the individuals behind these channels because of foreign servers.

However, following the news of Source Music, a HYBE subsidiary with the girl group LE SSERAFIM, filing lawsuits, the YouTube channel 'Issue Feed,' with 300,000 subscribers, went private and vanished. Their TikTok accounts also went private. This channel had been persistently attacking HYBE artists and Starship Entertainment's Jang Won-young of IVE.

Another channel, "Short Station Chief," is also facing legal action from Source Music. They even posted an apology and promised to delete problematic videos after learning that the company had requested the U.S. court to reveal the operator's identity.

Previously, in April, the company behind BTS applied for a disclosure order against the operator of the YouTube channel "7th Grade Middle School," which had posted defamatory videos about NewJeans, at the federal court in California.

The following month, they also requested a disclosure order for the "Guilty Archive" channel operator on X, accused of spreading false rumors linking HYBE to a specific religious group.

U.S. Attorney Eugene Kim is collaborating with local lawyers to find the identity disclosure orders from U.S. courts, suggesting HYBE is actively pursuing legal actions through local law firms.

Foreign social media platforms like YouTube and X have long been hotbeds for cyberbullies because of difficulties in identifying users. However, following the apprehension of the YouTube channel "Unsub Station," entertainment companies have increasingly filed lawsuits against cyberbullying.

Last month, the Incheon District Prosecutor's Office revealed that the operator of Unsub Station, identified as Mr. A, uploaded hundreds of defamatory videos about groups like aespa and IVE, earning over 200 million KRW in criminal proceeds over two years since June 2021.

According to an industry insider, HYBE suspects the cyberbullies are organized, corporate entities rather than individuals. If this is confirmed, it could significantly affect the industry. These entities may produce defamatory posts based on economic benefits or competitive interests, aiming to devalue specific artists' intellectual property (IP).

An industry insider source said,

"Repeatedly posting defamatory content damages the value of K-pop artist. Such malicious posts, which exceed the bounds of free expression and are created with ulterior motives, must be eradicated."

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The K-pop industry hopes that ongoing investigations will reveal the extent of these activities.