South Korea Has Taken Down Deepseek From App Stores Due to Privacy Issues.

South Korea has blocked new downloads of the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek due to privacy concerns, according to the country’s data protection authority.

The chatbot will be accessible again once necessary improvements are made to comply with local data protection laws.

Following its global recognition, DeepSeek quickly gained popularity in South Korea, surpassing a million weekly users and topping app store charts.

However, its rapid rise has also led to increased scrutiny, with several countries imposing restrictions due to privacy and security risks.

South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission confirmed that DeepSeek was removed from Apple’s App Store and Google Play on Saturday evening.

This followed bans by several government agencies preventing employees from installing the chatbot on work devices.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok called DeepSeek a “shock” with potential effects extending beyond the AI sector.

Despite the restriction on new downloads, existing users can continue using the app or access it through DeepSeek’s website.

China’s DeepSeek has shaken the tech industry, financial markets, and U.S. confidence in its AI dominance since launching its latest app last month.

Its swift rise as a widely used AI chatbot has triggered regulatory concerns in multiple regions.

Beyond South Korea, Taiwan and Australia have also prohibited its use on government devices.

Australia clarified that its decision is based on security risks rather than the app’s Chinese origin.

Italy’s regulator, which briefly restricted ChatGPT in 2023, has also blocked DeepSeek, requiring updates to its privacy policy before reinstatement.

Meanwhile, data protection authorities in France and Ireland have questioned whether DeepSeek stores user data on servers in China, as indicated in its policy. The chatbot reportedly collects personal details such as email addresses and birth dates while using user input to refine its model.

In the U.S., lawmakers have proposed banning DeepSeek from federal devices, citing surveillance risks. Texas, Virginia, and New York have already enforced similar restrictions at the state level.

DeepSeek’s language model rivals U.S. AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4 but is significantly cheaper to develop and operate, raising concerns about the vast sums being spent on AI infrastructure in the U.S. and beyond.