Due to concerns about collecting user data and privacy violations, China’s artificial intelligence DeepSeek has been removed from application stores in South Korea.

The South Korean government has temporarily banned the popular application of the Chinese AI laboratory, DeepSeek, from being downloaded from local application stores.

This decision was made due to concerns about the processing and collection of user data.

What is DeepSeek?

DeepSeek is an application that uses artificial intelligence technology to analyze various user data and processes this data to enhance the user experience.

Data Transferred to TikTok

The South Korean Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) found that DeepSeek was sending user data to ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, after conducting an investigation.

South Korea’s Decision

The PIPC banned the downloading of the application, citing that DeepSeek did not comply with Korean privacy laws and failed to take sufficient measures to protect user data. The Commission mentioned that if DeepSeek makes the necessary changes to comply with privacy laws, the application could be downloaded again.

DeepSeek officials stated that they would collaborate with authorities in South Korea to make the necessary changes and make the application downloadable again. It was noted that additional measures would be taken to protect user data and prevent privacy violations during this process.

In Which Countries was DeepSeek Banned?

South Korea is not the only country that is cautious about the DeepSeek AI application. Australia restricted the use of DeepSeek by government personnel due to national security concerns. In Italy, DeepSeek’s chatbot is unavailable, while the application is completely banned in Taiwan.