South Korea’s data protection authority has suspended new downloads of the Chinese AI app DeepSeek, citing non-compliance with the country’s privacy regulations. The decision, announced by the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), comes after the company admitted to failing to meet specific data protection requirements.
According to PIPC, the measure took effect on Saturday, preventing new users from downloading the app in the country. This move comes just a few days after the country flagged DeepSeek.
However, DeepSeek’s web-based services remain accessible to South Korean users. The regulator stated that the suspension would be lifted once the app implements necessary improvements in line with national privacy laws, reports Reuters.
DeepSeek recently appointed legal representatives in South Korea and acknowledged that it had overlooked some aspects of the country’s data protection requirements. The company has not yet officially responded to the latest enforcement action.
This development follows a similar trajectory in Europe. Last month, Italy’s data protection authority, Garante, ordered DeepSeek to block its chatbot in the country due to unresolved concerns over its privacy policy. Similarly, the Australian government banned DeepSeek over extensive data collection.
On February 5, the Indian Ministry of Finance passed an order banning tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek for official documentation purposes.
When previously asked about restrictions imposed on DeepSeek by South Korean authorities, the Chinese foreign ministry emphasised Beijing’s commitment to data privacy and security. A ministry spokesperson asserted that the Chinese government upholds strict legal protections for personal data and does not mandate companies or individuals to collect information violating existing laws.
However, the reality seems a bit shady. Recently, reports emerged that DeepSeek’s iOS app was found to transfer data without any encryption to ByteDance servers. The vulnerability could lead to data interception and manipulation. Despite built-in security controls on iOS, the app disables these protections, putting users at risk of Man-in-the-Middle attacks.
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