South Korea blocks downloads of DeepSeek from local app stores

South Korea temporarily blocks DeepSeek's app over data privacy issues.

: South Korea has temporarily halted downloads of DeepSeek from app stores while it assesses compliance with privacy laws. The app, developed by Chinese AI Lab DeepSeek, which also transferred user data to ByteDance, is under scrutiny by the Personal Information Protection Commission. PIPC advises users to avoid entering personal data until further notice. Similar actions have been taken internationally due to security concerns.

South Korea's authorities have paused the download of DeepSeek from local app stores as they evaluate its compliance with their privacy regulations. The Personal Information Protection Commission found that the app transferred data to ByteDance, prompting a warning to avoid using personal information until definite changes are made.

Despite the download restrictions, existing users can still use the app, but with a cautious recommendation from the PIPC. DeepSeek, headed by Liang Feng and founded in Hangzhou in 2023, has started cooperating with Korean authorities by appointing a local representative.

Globally, countries like Australia, Italy, and Taiwan have taken a stand against DeepSeek due to similar concerns, echoing the apprehensions from South Korea. The AI model, DeepSeek R1, is an open-source competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, adding to its complexity in terms of global data security measures.