DeepSeek blocked in South Korea over data privacy concerns
On Monday, South Korea authorities announced that the DeepSeek app will not be available in local app stores until the service's information collection policies comply with national personal data protection regulations.
According to the decision by the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), DeepSeek is accessible in South Korea, but users will not be able to download the app to smartphones.
Current users are strongly advised to use the service cautiously until the final results are announced, including refraining from entering personal data when using DeepSeek, the PIPC stated in a release.
The decision, which took effect on Saturday evening, was made after several ministries and government agencies blocked internal access to the AI service. Concerns about DeepSeek's data management justified this. The AFP agency reported that the Chinese company "accepted" the authorities' decision in Seoul.
As recently as January, the PIPC sent a formal request to DeepSeek to obtain clarification on data collection and management methods. The company admitted that so far, "some principles" concerning personal data protection had not been taken into account.
Authorities from several countries worldwide, including Italy, the Netherlands, and the USA, have openly expressed concerns about the risks associated with using the DeepSeek chatbot, including the transmission of data directly to China, where Beijing authorities may access it. The Australian Department of Home Affairs has banned the installation of the Chinese company DeepSeek's chatbots on government administration equipment.
The Chinese government criticised the actions of various institutions and governments aimed at limiting the use of DeepSeek, claiming that "we have never asked and will never ask any company or individual to collect or store data illegally."
