HYBE is reeling from the spread of malicious fake news targeting its idol group BTS.
According to the entertainment industry on the 3rd, an unverified image containing streaming metrics for "Swim (SWIM)," the title track of BTS' fifth full-length album "Arirang," spread rapidly on social media, including X (formerly Twitter).
The image showed that, as of the 1st, the daily Spotify streams for "Swim" stood at just 5,198. That represented a plunge of more than about 10 million from the previous day, or 99.95% in percentage terms. The figures spread beyond social media to stock discussion boards on portal sites, and some investors voiced concern about the potential impact on the share price.
But the data was confirmed to be false. HYBE said, "The image in question is not official aggregated data, and the figures themselves are unrealistic," adding, "After checking directly with Spotify, we confirmed it is not actual data."
Fake news surrounding BTS is not limited to manipulated figures. Recently, groundless rumors about member Jin's body proportions have been spreading on online communities. The claim is that the agency altered images because he appears short in certain photos. However, experts explain that body proportions can look different depending on lens angle, pose, and distance from surrounding people during shooting.
Some suggest this is an attempt to exploit BTS' global influence to sow market confusion. The possibility of an organized attack on artists, the so-called "reverse viral," that has caused problems in the past, is also being raised.
In particular, fake news that distorts indicators directly tied to performance, such as streaming figures, is raising concern because it can mislead not only fans but also investors.
A HYBE official said, "Spreading false information related to artists can cause serious damage across the business beyond defamation," adding, "We are continuously monitoring those who spread fake news and are considering legal action without leniency."