SM Entertainment is taking strong action against the spread of false information concerning its artists.
On January 20, SM Entertainment announced via its official account that it had identified users on X (formerly Twitter) who were persistently and repeatedly posting malicious content targeting its artists. This content included the spread of false information, defamation, sexual harassment, personal attacks, insults, and invasion of privacy. The agency stated it is pursuing criminal charges.
The agency further revealed it has filed a lawsuit with law firm Sejong against 11 X users for consistently posting malicious content concerning aespa, RIIZE, and NCT WISH. SM Entertainment is continuously preparing to expand the scope of these charges.
SM also reported that it has gathered substantial evidence against individuals creating and disseminating malicious rumors, false information, sexually degrading posts, and deepfake content related to its artists on various social media platforms. The agency plans to proceed with both criminal and civil actions without leniency.
Notably, SM Entertainment publicly exposed the accounts of these malicious commenters in its notice, a strong measure that garnered significant attention.
Below is the full notice from SM Entertainment.
Hello, this is SM Entertainment.
We have recently identified several users on X (formerly Twitter) who have persistently and repeatedly posted malicious content against our artists, involving false information, defamation, sexual harassment, personal attacks, insults, and invasion of privacy. These illegal activities are inflicting significant emotional distress on our artists, and we are taking stringent measures, including pursuing criminal charges, to protect their rights.
Based on valuable reports from our fans received via ‘KWANGYA 119’ and data from our internal monitoring, we have thoroughly reviewed posts and attached images on X accounts. Specifically, in collaboration with law firm Sejong, we have filed a complaint with investigative authorities against a total of 11 X users for confirmed criminal activities involving malicious posts targeting aespa, RIIZE, and NCT WISH.
In addition to this filing, we are currently reviewing malicious posts uploaded on various social media platforms concerning other artists and are preparing to file criminal charges, with the goal of continuously broadening our legal actions.
Additionally, we are actively collecting substantial evidence against those who generate and distribute malicious rumors and false information about our artists, post content that is mocking, contemptuous, or sexually vulgar, and create or distribute distorted content like deepfakes on platforms including DC Inside, Naver, Daum Cafe, Nate Pann, Instiz, The Qoo, MLB Park, FM Korea, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. We plan to proceed with firm legal responses in both criminal and civil actions without leniency.
In 2026, we will continue to prioritize the protection of our artists’ rights and will exert our utmost efforts on all fronts. We ask for continued interest and cooperation from fans.
Thank you.
