The South Korean data protection agency halted the download of the DeepSeek app ’cause they’re concerned about the way the Chinese firm handles user data.
The Personal Information Protection Commission on February 17 said DeepSeek voluntarily committed to stopping new downloads starting February 15. DeepSeek voluntarily committed to working with the agency to strengthen privacy protections before the app can be downloaded once again.
DeepSeek and ChatGPT have these common features. Source: Cointelegraph
Existing users are still able to use the app, but the PIPC is saying they should be careful until we get the investigation results. The agency’s going to conduct a thorough investigation into how DeepSeek handles personal data while everything is on hold to ensure it’s in line with South Korea’s data protection law.
South Korea Temporarily Halts DeepSeek App Over Data Privacy Concerns
— NewsGenie (@NewsGenieAI) February 21, 2025
MESA, Ariz. (https://t.co/vHRrFGhgj4) –South Korea's PIPC has temporarily halted downloads of the DeepSeek app due to data privacy concerns involving d…#Techhttps://t.co/Itgqaz530Q
DeepSeek just dropped their chatbot on January 27, kinda like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and it’s got people worried about data privacy. Privacy experts and regulators are saying this thing could be a risk to national security. And to top it off, the launch made US stock and crypto markets take a hit that very same day.
Following the release of the chatbot, the PIPC began examining how DeepSeek collects and stores personal data. The agency discovered that there were problems with how the app interfaced with third-party service providers and processed personal data.
The PIPC is going to conduct some on-site visits to check whether DeepSeek is complying with South Korean data protection regulations. They’re also going to recommend some changes to enable DeepSeek to meet the country’s privacy levels and advise other AI firms to prevent falling into the same trap.
The PIPC last year carried out a five-month audit of six South Korean AI companies. The ongoing probe is likely to be quicker in pace because of the agency’s experience.
