DeepSeek removed from South Korea app stores pending privacy review

SEOUL: Chinese AI app DeepSeek will not be available to download in South Korea pending a review of its handling of user data, Seoul authorities said on Monday.

DeepSeek´s R1 chatbot stunned investors and industry insiders with its ability to match the functions of its Western competitors at a fraction of the cost. But a number of countries have questioned DeepSeek´s storage of user data, which the firm says is collected in “secure servers located in the People´s Republic of China”.

Seoul´s Personal Information Protection Commission said DeepSeek would no longer be available for download until a review of its personal data collection practices was carried out. The Chinese AI firm has “acknowledged that considerations for domestic privacy laws were somewhat lacking”, the data protection agency said.

It assessed that bringing the app into line with local privacy laws “would inevitably take a significant amount of time”, the agency added. “To prevent further concerns from spreading, the commission recommended that DeepSeek temporarily suspend its service while making the necessary improvements,” it said.

DeepSeek has “accepted” that proposal, it added. The app was removed from local app stores on Saturday at 6:00 pm (0900 GMT) and remains unavailable. The AI chatbot is still in use for those who have already downloaded the app. Seoul´s data protection agency said it “strongly advised” people to “use the service with caution until the final results are announced”.