Deepening Privacy Concerns for Chinese AI Tool
South Korea's privacy watchdog has accused the Chinese artificial intelligence platform
DeepSeek of transferring South Korean users’ personal information and prompt data to external parties, specifically to ByteDance, without appropriate user consent. This revelation has ignited renewed scrutiny over foreign AI tools and data privacy in South Korea and beyond.
Investigation Highlights
- South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) found DeepSeek transferred user data to ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, after the app was already under regulatory suspension in the country.
- The exact nature and extent of the transferred data remain unclear, but references to ByteDance analytics and performance monitoring were documented in a Security Scorecard report, indicating deep integration with ByteDance infrastructure.
- The PIPC also discovered that data may have been routed to Chinese state-owned organizations, further intensifying security and privacy worries.
- Concerns have prompted many South Korean government agencies and companies to block DeepSeek on their networks and prohibit its use for work-related tasks.
Global and Local Impact
- Beyond South Korea, countries including Australia and Taiwan have imposed their own bans on DeepSeek over security concerns.
- Following the revelations, South Korean authorities temporarily suspended downloads of the DeepSeek app from local versions of the Apple App Store and Google Play. However, existing users may still access the tool, primarily via web browsers.
- Local authorities have strongly advised users to delete the app or at least avoid submitting any personal or sensitive information until the matter is conclusively resolved.
Response and Outlook
- DeepSeek has committed to collaborating with South Korean regulators and strengthening compliance with local privacy laws.
- The company promised regulatory adjustments and has appointed a representative within South Korea, though officials emphasize that users should remain cautious regarding potential data exposure.
- This controversy arrives as AI technologies, including Chatgpt and other international tools, face growing regulatory hurdles worldwide.
What Users Should Do
South Korea’s privacy commission has issued a clear advisory: existing users should consider removing
DeepSeek from their devices or, at a minimum, refrain from entering personal or sensitive data into its chatbots and services until robust data protection assurances are in place.
