Privacy Concerns Rise as South Korea Accuses DeepSeek of Sharing Data with ByteDance

South Korea recently accused the Chinese AI startup DeepSeek of sharing user data with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance. This development follows DeepSeek’s previous rise to prominence in early January due to its low-cost AI technology, which significantly impacted global stock markets. The South Korean Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) confirmed communication between DeepSeek and ByteDance, leading to the removal of DeepSeek from app stores due to data protection concerns. Despite its popularity, gaining over a million downloads in South Korea alone, the regulator emphasized caution, noting that they were still investigating the extent of the data transfer.

Critics voice concerns about China’s National Intelligence Law, which could potentially allow the government access to data from Chinese companies, raising alarms about user privacy. A cybersecurity firm previously indicated that various integrations suggested DeepSeek was connected to ByteDance’s analytics, potentially transmitting sensitive user information to its servers. Following these revelations, South Korea has joined other countries in prohibiting the app from government devices, advising users to refrain from sharing personal data with the platform. The situation continues to unfold as regulatory bodies and concerned parties seek clarity on the implications of DeepSeek’s data practices.