Olivia
February 19, Seoul, South Korea: DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence startup, has temporarily suspended downloads of its chatbot apps in South Korea due to ongoing privacy concerns. The company is currently working with South Korean authorities to address these issues, according to an announcement made by officials on Monday.
The South Korean Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) reported that DeepSeek’s apps were removed from both the local versions of Apple’s App Store and Google Play on Saturday evening. The company has agreed to collaborate with the commission to strengthen privacy safeguards before the apps are made available for download again.
It is important to note that this suspension only affects new downloads of DeepSeek’s apps. Users who have already downloaded the app on their devices or use it on personal computers are not impacted by the decision. However, the PIPC has advised South Korean users who currently have the app installed to either delete it or refrain from entering sensitive personal information until the concerns are resolved.
Nam Seok, the director of the PIPC’s investigation division, emphasized the importance of safeguarding user privacy and explained that the investigation had uncovered troubling issues with DeepSeek’s data practices. Specifically, the company had been found lacking in transparency regarding third-party data transfers and was potentially collecting excessive personal information. Nam also noted that the commission had started reviewing DeepSeek’s services last month and that it was still uncertain how many users in South Korea are affected by the app.
The controversy surrounding DeepSeek has led several South Korean government agencies and corporations to take precautionary measures. Many have either blocked the app from their internal networks or prohibited employees from using it on work devices, citing concerns that the AI model could be collecting sensitive data without proper oversight.
Despite the concerns, DeepSeek has gained significant popularity in South Korea. A recent analysis by Wiseapp Retail revealed that the app was used by approximately 1.2 million smartphone users in South Korea as of the fourth week of January. This placed DeepSeek as the second most popular AI model in the country, just behind ChatGPT.
As the investigation into DeepSeek’s privacy practices continues, South Korean authorities are urging users to exercise caution while the company works to improve its data protection measures. The outcome of this case could set important precedents for the regulation of foreign AI services in South Korea and beyond.
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Kathy
