Ador Takes Firm Legal Action Over NewJeans Members' Rights Violations

NewJeans' agency, Ador, has announced strong legal measures against individuals accused of defamation, privacy invasion, and deepfake crimes targeting its artists.

On the 30th, Ador announced through the global fan community platform Weverse, "We are continuously gathering evidence of severe rights infringements against our artists on domestic and international online sites and social media channels. These include defamation based on nationality and appearance, the spread of false information (fake news), invasion of privacy, and the use of malicious slurs and derogatory terms. We are actively requesting swift deletion and pursuing legal procedures simultaneously."

They further stated, "Investigations are ongoing for suspects charged with defamation and the use of obscene communications. Some non-member users of DC Inside (known as 'floating nicknames') have been identified and transferred to the police station in their jurisdiction."

Ador has taken a firm stance against malicious content on overseas platforms as well. They explained, "We are securing identities through the U.S. courts and proceeding with domestic legal procedures. We have identified and are taking strong action against a malicious YouTuber who repeatedly created videos that could cause sexual humiliation to our members."

This YouTuber requested a settlement during the civil lawsuit process, but Ador refused. On June 25, the court ruled that "the defendant's actions constitute a severe violation of personal rights," resulting in a partial victory ordering compensation to be paid to the members. In the criminal case, the YouTuber received a deferred prosecution with conditions of education, but Ador has appealed, stating "harsher punishment is necessary."

The response to deepfake crimes continues as well. Ador stated, "Numerous suspects who produced and distributed deepfakes targeting our members through channels like Telegram have received heavy penalties, including imprisonment, confiscation, community service orders, education orders, probation, and employment restrictions in child, youth, and disabled-related institutions."

One suspect used the difficult-to-trace 'Proton Mail' to send videos, but was apprehended thanks to proactive investigation efforts.

Ador concluded, "Reports from fans are of great help," and pledged to "continue striving to protect the rights of our artists."

Meanwhile, NewJeans members are engaged in a legal dispute with Ador regarding their exclusive contracts. On the 25th, the court finalized an injunction prohibiting independent activities by NewJeans members, which is expected to impact their future activities.



Below is the full notice from Ador, posted on NewJeans' Weverse community.

Hello.
This is Ador.

We are providing guidance regarding legal actions for the protection of NewJeans' rights.

Since NewJeans' debut, we have been continuously monitoring and taking legal action against malicious online posts targeting the artists.

We are gathering evidence of severe rights infringements against our artists on domestic and international online sites and social media channels. These include defamation based on nationality and appearance, the spread of false information (fake news), invasion of privacy, and the use of malicious slurs and derogatory terms. We are actively requesting swift deletion and pursuing legal procedures simultaneously. As a result, investigations are ongoing for suspects charged with defamation and the use of obscene communications, and some non-member users of DC Inside (known as 'floating nicknames') have been identified and transferred to the police station in their jurisdiction.

For platforms like YouTube, we are securing identities through the U.S. courts and proceeding with domestic legal procedures. We have identified and are taking strong action against a malicious YouTuber who repeatedly created videos that could cause sexual humiliation to our members. This YouTuber requested a settlement during the civil lawsuit process, but we firmly refused. On June 25, 2025, in the civil damages lawsuit against this YouTuber, the court ruled that the defendant's actions constitute a severe violation of personal rights. Consequently, the court ordered the defendant to pay a substantial amount of damages to the members. We will continue to respond firmly to similar issues with a zero-tolerance policy.

Similarly, in the criminal proceedings, we have appealed against the deferred prosecution with conditions of education for the YouTuber, as we believe harsher punishment is necessary. We will continue to respond strictly to ensure the YouTuber receives appropriate punishment.

We are also responding strictly to deepfake crimes. We are closely cooperating with investigative agencies regarding the production and distribution of deepfake videos targeting our artists, and numerous suspects who produced and distributed deepfakes targeting our members through channels like Telegram have received heavy penalties, including imprisonment, confiscation, community service orders, education orders, probation, and employment restrictions in child, youth, and disabled-related institutions. One suspect used the difficult-to-trace 'Proton Mail' to send deepfake videos, but was apprehended thanks to proactive investigation efforts.

Your interest and reports are of great help in our legal actions. We encourage active reporting through the 'HYBE Artist Rights Violation Report Site' regarding the infringement of artists' rights.

We always appreciate your love and dedication, and Ador will continue to strive to protect the rights of our artists.

Thank you.

 

This article was originally published in Korean on Xportsnews and was translated into English using AI.

by Lee Yurim