"Account Fully Disclosed" SM Files Lawsuits Against 11 Aespa and RIIZE Trolls... Unprecedented 'Public Shaming' Measure

SM Entertainment (hereinafter SM) has taken the "extreme measure" of publicly disclosing the accounts of trolls who have harassed its artists.

◆ Real Name System for Trolls? Unprecedented 'Account Public Shaming' On the 20th, SM announced its official position, stating, "We have confirmed circumstances of malicious posts continuously disseminating false information, sexual harassment, insults, and defamation against our artists on X (formerly Twitter)," and informed about the progress of criminal lawsuits. Notably, SM has chosen an unprecedented method of publicly shaming by directly specifying the nicknames and IDs of 11 X users who have written malicious posts targeting Aespa, RIIZE, and NCT WISH in the announcement. This is interpreted as a strong will to identify the perpetrators and socially isolate them, going beyond a simple warning.

◆ "Evidence Secured, Transferred to Investigative Authorities" Based on the evidence collected through the fan reporting system 'KWANGYA 119' and its own monitoring, SM submitted lawsuits against these 11 accounts to the investigative authorities in collaboration with the law firm Sejong. The company emphasized, "These accounts have been confirmed to engage in criminal activities," stating, "We will no longer tolerate personal attacks and violations of privacy that go beyond simple defamation."

◆ Expanding Legal Response to Deepfakes and Other Platforms The scope of legal action is expected to broaden further. SM stated that it is reviewing malicious posts across major online communities and platforms, including DC Inside, Naver, YouTube, and TikTok, in addition to the current lawsuit targets. It also hinted at having secured a large amount of evidence regarding the production and distribution of deepfakes (AI-based synthetic videos) and sexually degrading posts, which have recently emerged as social issues.

◆ "No Settlement"... Zero Tolerance Principle in 2026 SM warned, "In 2026, we will prioritize the protection of our artists' rights as our utmost value," stating, "There will be no leniency or settlement under any circumstances, and we will pursue not only criminal lawsuits but also civil claims for damages to hold them accountable to the end." It also urged fans for continued reporting and cooperation.