HYBE Asks US Court To Reveal Identity Of Social Media Users Allegedly Slander BTS

BTS, asked a court in the United States to force social media platform X to reveal their slanderous identity. (photo; x @aespachart)

The entertainment group HYBE, which is home to the K-pop group BTS, has asked a court in the United States to force social media platform X to reveal the identity of a user accused of slander and harassment. This was revealed according to court documents issued recently.

The request for this court order aims to assist the criminal complaint filed by HYBE against anonymous users under the name "@guiltyarchive" at Seoul's Yongsan Police Station on May 2.

This case follows pressure from BTS fans to better protect the group from malicious rumors amid internal disputes with a sub-label. Some fans, known as ARMYs, sent flowers and trucks containing messages of support to HYBE headquarters in Seoul this month and urged companies to take legal action.

The account operator told Reuters in a direct message on X that the post stated in the court document "not slander against certain artists" and that the post had been deleted.

In legal documents, HYBE lawyers say that "fake" and "false" statements from the X account, which has more than 100,000 followers, have caused irreparable losses to the company's business and shareholders.

Post X mentioned in the submission said the K-pop group managed by HYBE and its subsidiaries including BTS and girl group, Le Sserafim.

The request for this subpoena was filed in the San Francisco Division of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, where X's headquarters is located.