Court Determines Malicious Insults to Virtual Avatars Are Legal Offenses Against Real Individuals
An individual identified only as ‘B’ has been legally ordered to pay damages for posting insulting comments targeting the virtual K-pop boy group PLAVE. This marks a landmark case where insults aimed at virtual avatars were recognized as harmful to the real people behind them.
Back in July 2024, ‘B’ shared several videos and posts that insulted the five members of PLAVE while also making accusations about the identities of the people controlling these virtual characters. As a result, the group’s agency pushed forward with a lawsuit on behalf of the members: Yejun, Noah, Bamby, Eunho, and Hamin.
The trial reached a conclusion on May 14, 2025, when Judge Jang Yoo Jin of the Uijeongbu District Court ruled ‘B’ guilty of human rights violations against the members. Each member was awarded 100,000 KRW (roughly $73 USD) in damages. The judge highlighted how avatars have become a new way for people to express themselves in the metaverse era:
"The use of avatars in the age of the metaverse may be considered another means for users of technology to express themselves and communicate with others. In that sense, insulting the avatars may be seen as equivalent to insulting the actual user behind the avatar." Jang Yoo Jin
During the hearing, ‘B’ argued that because the insults didn’t target the real individuals directly, they shouldn’t be considered offensive. But the court didn’t buy that defense:
"An individual can still be offended even when their real names or any specific names referring to that individual or group are not used. Furthermore, if others can identify the individual based on context, it must be seen as an account of offense against that specific individual." Jang Yoo Jin
Ultimately, the judge noted that the identities behind the virtual characters are public knowledge, making the insults effectively directed at the real people involved:
"If the identity of the avatar user is widely known or public information, accounts of offense committed against the avatar must be seen as equivalent to accounts of offense committed against the real-life user. In the case of PLAVE, regardless of the agency’s current stance or policies, the real-life identities of the members have become information readily available to the masses. When considering the fact that ‘B’ also committed the offenses in question with that information in mind, it must be concluded that ‘B’ specifically targeted the plaintiffs." Jang Yoo Jin
This ruling sets a precedent, stating that malicious attacks on virtual avatars can be legally treated as attacks on the real individuals using them. It’s a first in recognizing the rights of users in the digital entertainment space, especially relevant as virtual idols grow more popular worldwide.
TRENDINGFor a quick refresher, PLAVE debuted in March 2023 with their first single album, Asterum, quickly gaining attention for being a fully virtual boy group with five distinct members.
This court decision could have important implications for how online speech and virtual personas are protected moving forward. As the metaverse and virtual entertainment expand, the legal system is starting to catch up to these new realities.