South Korea has temporarily blocked the download of the Chinese AI application DeepSeek from its local app stores, citing concerns over the handling of user data and privacy. The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) announced the suspension, which took effect Saturday evening.
According to PIPC, the app will be restored as soon as the business conforms with South Korean privacy regulations and makes the required adjustments.
Investigation by PIPC
The PIPC’s decision followed an investigation that revealed DeepSeek had transferred data of South Korean users to ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. The commission also noted the company’s lack of transparency regarding third-party data transfers and potential collection of excessive personal information.
Existing users can continue accessing the app and its online features, even though new downloads are not allowed. However, the PIPC is strongly advising users to avoid entering personal information into DeepSeek until the privacy issues are resolved.
Privacy and Security
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI lab, launched its service in South Korea in late January and quickly gained popularity, reaching over a million users weekly. DeepSeek is the second-most-popular AI model behind ChatGPT. This rapid growth prompted increased scrutiny from various nations regarding privacy and national security.
DeepSeek has appointed legal representatives in South Korea. Furthermore It has acknowledged that it was not fully aware of the nation’s data protection laws when launching its service. The company has stated its willingness to cooperate with South Korean authorities to address the concerns and resume downloads.
The PIPC said that inspecting DeepSeek will take some time. It took five months to inspect six AI services from Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft.
Conclusion
This action by South Korea is part of a growing trend of countries imposing restrictions on DeepSeek. Taiwan and Australia have banned the app on government devices. Similarly, Italy’s data protection authority has also restricted DeepSeek, demanding the company resolve issues related to its privacy policy before it can return to app stores. In response to the ban, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that Beijing would never ask any company or individual to store or collect data illicitly.
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