SNU embeds anti-deepfake pixels in graduation photos to curb abuse

Seoul National University has applied StealCut Protect, an invisible-pixel watermarking technology, to its graduation album to deter deepfake misuse, following a 2024 scandal where female graduates' photos were manipulated into explicit content. This is the first use of the technology for a university graduation album in South Korea, provided free by an SNU alumni-founded startup. The move signals a proactive institutional response to deepfake threats, though its effectiveness against sophisticated editing remains unproven.