PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: South Korea’s data protection authority found that the Chinese AI app DeepSeek transferred personal data to a cloud services platform without user consent.
👥 Who’s Involved: The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), DeepSeek, Volcano Engine, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
📍 Where & When: The issue was identified in South Korea and announced on Thursday, April 24.
💬 Key Quote: “Initially, DeepSeek transferred personal data to companies located in China and the United States without obtaining users’ consent,” stated Nam Seok of the PIPC.
⚠️ Impact: DeepSeek has been suspended from download in South Korea—and a number of other localities—until its data practices are reviewed. The Chinese AI app has been the target of scrutiny over claims made regarding its technical specifications and data security. DeepSeek is only the latest Chinese-made app that has faced allegations of being a data mining tool for the CCP, with the social media app TikTok being the most prominent example.
IN FULL:
A South Korean government agency has uncovered that the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) application DeepSeek was involved in the unauthorized transfer of personal data to a cloud service associated with ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) detailed on Thursday that the data, which included device specifics and user inputs, was being moved to servers hosted by Beijing’s Volcano Engine platform.
The broader implications of this revelation have prompted nations such as South Korea, Italy, and Australia, along with certain U.S. states, to either restrict or ban the app. DeepSeek, which had rapidly gained attention early this year due to its alleged ability to rival Western AI tools at a reduced cost, has assured cooperation with the PIPC and a prospective review of its data protection strategies.
The PIPC initiated a comprehensive investigation in February, compelling DeepSeek to halt new app downloads pending a stringent evaluation of its data collection methods. Speaking on behalf of the PIPC, Nam Seok highlighted the issue with DeepSeek collecting data without consent or transparent privacy disclosures. “Initially, DeepSeek transferred personal data to companies located in China and the United States without obtaining users’ consent, or disclosing this in the privacy policy at the time the service was launched,” Seok said, adding: “In particular, it was confirmed that DeepSeek transferred not only device, network, and app information, but also user inputs in AI prompts to Volcano Engine.”
Responding to Seoul’s findings, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) reaffirmed its commitment to data privacy and denied any involvement in mandating illegal data practices by firms or individuals. The Foreign Ministry, represented by spokesman Guo Jiakun, emphasized China’s supposed adherence to legal data collection standards.
The entity behind Volcano Engine, ByteDance, counts among its holdings the popular social media platform TikTok. Notably, TikTok and ByteDance have been accused of dubious data security practices in the United States, and the social media app faces a potential national ban if its Chinese parent company does not divest itself.