In anticipation of an evaluation of the Chinese company’s user data management practices, South Korean authorities on Saturday temporarily blocked the download of DeepSeek’s app from the nation’s app stores.
The Chinese software will be accessible for download if it conforms with Korean privacy regulations and undergoes the required modifications, according to the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC).
The restrictions will not be affected by the usage of the existing app and web service in the country. However, the data protection authority expressed it “strongly advises”. The current users avoid entering personal information into the Deepseek till the final decision is made.
The PIPC said that after the DeepSeek service was launched in South Korea in late January, it contacted the Chinese AI lab to ask how it gathers and uses personal information. During its assessment, it discovered problems with DeepSeek’s privacy and third-party service regulations.
According to the agency, DeepSeek recently appointed a local agent in South Korea and said that when it first started its service. It was unfamiliar with the country’s privacy regulations. Last Friday, the Chinese company also announced that it will work closely with Korean authorities.
Citing security concerns, the Chinese AI startup’s access to official equipment was briefly barred earlier this month by South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, police, and a state-run firm called Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power.
Given DeepSeek’s Chinese roots, other nations are also exercising caution. Due to security concerns, DeepSeek is not allowed on government devices in Australia. Taiwan has prohibited government agencies from utilizing DeepSeek AI, while Italy’s data protection body, Garante, has directed DeepSeek to stop its chatbot in the nation.
Liang Feng established the Hangzhou-based DeepSeek in 2023, and the company launched DeepSeek R1, a free and open-source reasoning AI model that rivals OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
