DeepSeek suspends in South Korea Over Data Privacy Concerns

News Desk

Islamabad: Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) of South Korea suspended new downloads of the Chinese artificial intelligence app DeepSeek, claiming that the app violated the country’s data privacy laws.

The suspension,which took place on Saturday, will continue until DeepSeek resolves the issues that have been flagged and abides by South Korean privacy laws, agency stated. Existing users can still use the app’s services despite the suspension, and its web-based platform remains operational in the country.

The PIPC’s decision comes after DeepSeek AI admitted to failing to comply with South Korea’s data protection rules. The Inquisitr reports that investigations revealed that the app did not disclose third party data transfers & hence could collect more than needed personal information about users.

South Korean authorities urged current users to delete the app or to not enter any personal data until the privacy issues are completely resolved.

DeepSeek was also ordered to halt the chatbot services on the entire territory of Italy because of privacy policy issues still not resolved, according to the recent statement by Italy’s data protection authority. similarly, multiple South Korean government organizations and companies have limited the use of DeepSeek due to fears over data sensitivity and security vulnerabilities

DeepSeek has attracted around 1.2 million users in South Korea and become the second most popular after ChatGPT model in less than a month. The app’s meteoric rise, however, has not come without controversy over data privacy, including a major data leak that includes sensitive details about more than one million users.

DeepSeek has not yet given any official response to the ban in South Korea. The PIPC declared  that the app’s services would be restored after the necessary adjustments are made in conformity with the country’s privacy regulations.