Ask AP529 | Episode 8: How to Report Malicious Content to HYBE
This post was written by Leslie Day
Welcome to Ask AP529 where YOU get to utilize OUR brain wrinkles to find answers to your most burning BTS questions. This question comes from Stefne of the AP529 Admin team. She asks:
What is the best way to report malicious content about BTS and its members to HYBE?
We know that BTS have always been the underdogs in the industry. And even though that is no longer the case, the attacks on them have not ceased. From antis to solo stans—misinformation, blatant libel, and slander against the group has unfortunately remained a commonplace occurrence.
ARMY has always been able to report content of a malicious nature. It was previously done through an email address and company lawyers have been successful over the years in prosecuting such material as well as defending BTS from silly attacks and rumors. And they do credit ARMY with helping them to mine the information.
Last year, HYBE made this process MUCH easier by creating a website to collect the information:
We shouldn’t report videos and content simply because we don’t like them. There is a lot of media on the internet created just to generate interaction (i.e. clickbait), which is purely speculative in nature. If we come across content like this, we can choose to ignore it, and not give it more attention than it deserves. However, an article or blog/vlog claiming to have photos or videos of members engaged in rumored activity (not disclosed through official channels) IS something that falls into a reportable category. Likewise, if we come across any media or merchandise that violates copyright (monetized intellectual property), that can and should be reported as well.
When you first go to HYBE’s reporting website, don’t make the same mistake I did and have your browser translate to English. Instead, change the browser’s setting to English (or your preferred language—there is only English, Japanese, and Chinese). If you don’t, it will not let you make selections from the drop down menus.
THE REPORT FORM FOUND AT HYBE’S PROTECT.HYBECORP.COM
First: “Type of Report” (These are the most common that can occur):
Report a malicious post: posts that could harm a member or their reputation.
Slander or libel/profanity: Anything that is being spread maliciously (like a negative viral post on social media) about a member, or attacking any of them with the use of profane/explicit language.
Rumor/false information: “For the love of Bangtan, don’t believe everything you see/read!”
Sexual Harassment: Includes attempts to contact members on official accounts with unwelcome sexual advances, and/or other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.
AI/deepfake abuse: AI generated audio/visual content of the members that is not correctly labeled as such, or is created with the intent to defame or spread misinformation about them.
Report Stalking: Persons following members, loitering outside or sending “gifts” to their private residences. (This includes invasions of privacy, like the buying & selling of airline ticket info, with the intent to stalk.)
Threat to artist’s safety: Threats, which can be verbal or written, that call for any member to be put at harm or risk (physical or psychological).
Copyright infringement:
Music Copyright
Video Copyright
IP (Intellectual Property) - this can include portraits, logos, etc
Merchandise
Next: If you find material matching those categories, you can submit a report, but you’ll need a few things before you do:
Title: Label your report
Contents: Give a brief description of what you are reporting
Location of Material: Here you get a drop down menu for where you found the post/content
URL of the offending site.
Screenshots of the offending material (that include the url in the screen shot).
The username of the poster
The date the material was posted.
Be prepared when you go to the website to report these things. Have the screenshots and URLs ready!
When everything is collected and entered/uploaded, you have to agree that you are not fabricating the information and then you can submit. Let’s help HYBE and their legal team protect BTS and the other artists under their company.
What BTS lore is tickling your brain? Ask us! Keep our brain wrinkles busy!
Go to the contact page on the AP529 website to submit your own question.
Join us LIVE every Sunday evening at 8pm ET for #the529live, a wrap up of each week's “Monday Muster”, thoughtful discussions, and tons of laughter! And catch us on TikTok each Wednesday night at 9pm ET for #the529tea, when we talk Bangtan news and dish about any TEA that might be happening on Kim Namjoon’s internet.
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CREDITS
YouTube/Web: HYBE LABELS
Doc, Quince, Christina (source and editing)