South Korea has formally suspended new downloads of Chinese language synthetic intelligence (AI) chatbot DeepSeek within the nation till the service makes modifications to its cellular apps to adjust to information safety laws.
Downloads have been paused as of February 15, 2025, 6:00 p.m. native time, the Private Info Safety Fee (PIPC) mentioned in a press release. The net service stays accessible.
The company mentioned it commenced its personal evaluation of DeepSeek proper after its launch and that it “recognized some shortcomings in communication features and private info processing insurance policies with third-party service suppliers.”
DeepSeek is alleged to have just lately appointed an area consultant, per PIPC, with the corporate additionally acknowledging it had didn’t consider home privateness legal guidelines when launching the service.
To that finish, downloads of DeepSeek are being paused till the corporate implements the required enhancements that deliver the service in compliance with the Private Info Safety Act.
“This non permanent suspension of the DeepSeek app restricts new app downloads from the app market, and we ask present customers to make use of it cautiously, reminiscent of not coming into private info within the DeepSeek enter window (immediate) till the ultimate outcomes are introduced,” the company famous.
Moreover, PIPC intends to make sure compliance and enhance steering in order to stop comparable lapses from occurring sooner or later.
The event comes shortly after South Korea’s Nationwide Intelligence Service (NIS) referred to as out the service for “excessively” accumulating private information and utilizing the knowledge to coach its AI programs.
In latest weeks, DeepSeek’s Android and iOS apps have additionally been discovered to include safety weaknesses that permit sure information to be despatched to its servers in unencrypted format.
Beijing has beforehand mentioned it permits web firms internationally to function within the nation so long as they comply with native legal guidelines and laws, and that it will by no means ask any firm or particular person to gather or retailer information in breach of legal guidelines..