South Korean authorities suspend new downloads of China’s DeepSeek chatbot, citing privacy and national security risks

South Korea has suspended new downloads of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot, citing concerns over its compliance with the country’s personal data protection laws. The move follows growing scrutiny of the app, which had surged in popularity, reaching over a million weekly users in South Korea. The nation’s Personal Information Protection Commission confirmed the ban on both Apple’s App Store and Google Play.

Despite the suspension, users who had already downloaded the app can continue using it or access it through DeepSeek’s website. The app’s rapid rise, particularly after its recent global launch, has raised alarms in various countries. South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, described DeepSeek as a potential threat to national industries, extending beyond just the AI sector.

Other countries, including Taiwan, Australia, and Italy, have also banned DeepSeek from government devices over concerns about privacy and security. France and Ireland have questioned how the app handles personal data, especially given its privacy policy, which suggests information may be stored on Chinese servers.

The app’s privacy policy indicates that it may collect sensitive data such as email addresses and birthdates to improve its services. In response, the company has been asked to address these concerns before DeepSeek can be reinstated on app stores. Meanwhile, the US has introduced proposals to ban the app from federal devices, citing similar fears of surveillance.

DeepSeek, praised for its advanced reasoning capabilities similar to US-based models like OpenAI’s GPT, has become a disruptor in the AI space due to its low cost to train and operate. This has intensified questions about the future of AI infrastructure, especially as billions of dollars are being invested globally.