South Korea has suspended new downloads of the Chinese AI app DeepSeek over data privacy concerns, pending compliance with national regulations.
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| South Korea’s data regulator has temporarily suspended new downloads of DeepSeek, citing violations of national privacy regulations. Image: ChicHue |
Seoul, South Korea — February 17, 2025:
South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) has suspended new downloads of the Chinese AI app DeepSeek, citing violations of the country’s data protection regulations. The restriction, which took effect on Saturday, will remain in place until the app aligns with national privacy laws, the agency confirmed in a media briefing on Monday.
"The service of the app will be resumed once improvements are made in accordance with the country's privacy law," the PIPC said, Reuters reported.
While new installations are currently blocked, DeepSeek’s web service remains accessible in South Korea. The Chinese AI startup appointed legal representatives in the country last week and acknowledged that it had failed to fully comply with South Korea’s data protection rules, according to the regulator.
The suspension follows similar scrutiny in Europe. Last month, Italy’s data protection authority, Garante, ordered DeepSeek to halt its chatbot service in the country due to unresolved concerns over its privacy policy.
DeepSeek has not yet responded to requests for comment on the situation in South Korea.
When asked about previous measures taken by South Korean authorities to limit DeepSeek’s operations, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry defended the country’s data policies. Speaking at a briefing on February 6, the spokesperson stated that the Chinese government "attaches great importance to data privacy and security and protects it in accordance with the law," adding that Beijing "would never ask any company or individual to collect or store data in breach of laws."