South Korea has raised concerns about how a Chinese AI app, DeepSeek, was handling people’s data. According to the country’s privacy watchdog, the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), DeepSeek was collecting personal data and user input (what people typed into the app) and sending it to other companies without asking for user permission.
This happened when DeepSeek first launched in South Korea back in January. Authorities later found out that some of that data was sent to companies not just in China, but also in the United States. One of the companies named was Beijing Volcano Engine Technology Co., which is known to provide cloud and AI infrastructure services (and is connected to ByteDance, the company behind TikTok).
In February, South Korea temporarily banned new downloads of the app after DeepSeek admitted it hadn’t fully followed the country’s data protection rules.
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Later, DeepSeek told the Korean agency it had stopped sharing user inputs with Volcano Engine starting April 10 and claimed it was originally done to “improve user experience.” However, South Korean authorities weren’t satisfied with this reasoning. On Thursday, they officially recommended that DeepSeek delete the data that had been shared and put proper legal procedures in place before transferring user information abroad again.
Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Ministry responded to the incident by saying the Chinese government does not and will not force companies to collect or store user data illegally.
This incident touches on growing global concerns around how AI apps collect and use personal data, especially across borders. As AI services become more widespread, governments are stepping up efforts to enforce privacy standards especially when foreign companies are involved.
South Korea has some of the world’s strictest data protection laws. The PIPC has previously taken action against big tech names like Google and Meta. This latest action sends a clear message that even startups will be held accountable if they don’t follow the rules.
