South Korea: DeepSeek AI Chatbot Removed from App Stores Over Data Protection Violations

Seoul: South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission has announced that DeepSeek has voluntarily suspended new downloads of its AI chatbot, DeepSeek R1, after acknowledging its failure to comply with personal data protection regulations. As a result, the chatbot has been removed from local versions of Apple’s App Store and Google Play, though it remains accessible for users who had previously downloaded it.

“To prevent further concerns from spreading, the commission recommended that DeepSeek temporarily suspend its service while making the necessary improvements,” the regulatory body stated. The decision follows an inquiry initiated last month, where the Commission formally requested detailed information from DeepSeek on its handling of user data.

Adding to the regulatory pressure, South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy recently imposed a temporary ban on government employees using DeepSeek on official devices, citing security risks.

Concerns surrounding DeepSeek’s data privacy practices are not limited to South Korea. Several other nations have also taken restrictive measures against the chatbot. Australia and Taiwan have already banned DeepSeek R1 from government devices, while the U.S. Congress is currently considering similar legislative action. Additionally, Italy’s data protection authority has directed DeepSeek to limit data processing for Italian users pending further clarification on its data management practices.

DeepSeek garnered significant attention last month when it claimed to have developed its AI chatbot at a fraction of the cost compared to industry giants like Google and OpenAI. While leading AI firms have reportedly invested billions into their models, DeepSeek’s development team stated in a research paper that their chatbot was trained with an expenditure of under $6 million on computing resources.

However, some analysts remain skeptical of these claims, suggesting that DeepSeek may have had access to more advanced computing chips and funding than it has publicly disclosed. As regulatory scrutiny intensifies, the company is expected to make necessary amendments to its privacy policies and operational framework to regain compliance and restore confidence in its AI technology.

The ongoing developments highlight the growing global focus on AI regulation, particularly concerning data privacy and security. Authorities continue to monitor AI-driven applications to ensure that they adhere to strict data protection standards, safeguarding user information from potential misuse.

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