South Korea Prohibits DeepSeek
Seoul’s data protection authority has “strongly advised” users to steer clear of the Chinese AI service until it makes “improvements” to comply with local regulations. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The national data protection authority in South Korea has announced a "temporary" suspension of the popular DeepSeek AI service until a review of the Chinese startup's data collection practices is completed and "improvements and remedies" are implemented.
On Monday, the Personal Information Protection Commission revealed that DeepSeek’s applications had been removed from local app stores, and access to its web service was halted at 6pm on Saturday. This ban will remain in effect until the company ensures "compliance" with local laws, according to Yonhap.
While the app is still accessible to users who had previously downloaded it, Seoul’s data watchdog has "strongly advised" them to "use the service with caution" until the final results of the investigation are released.
In January, the Hangzhou-based DeepSeek triggered a tech ‘arms race’ with the launch of an open-source version of its reasoning AI model, R1. The company claims the model was developed at a significantly lower cost while achieving performance levels comparable to competitors like OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Unlike its U.S. competitor, which provides advanced features via a subscription model, DeepSeek-R1 is freely accessible. This accessibility has helped it rise to the top of Apple’s App Store and Google Play rankings; however, its web-based service has experienced intermittent outages due to high demand.
DeepSeek also permits users to download its models for free and run them locally on their servers, bolstering the open-source community's belief that AI should be broadly available. This strategy contrasts with that of Western competitors, who typically emphasize proprietary models and limited access.
Despite these advantages, accessing the service through the company’s website or apps means that user data inevitably travels through DeepSeek’s Chinese servers, leading to concerns about data collection practices. As a result, several government bodies and businesses in the U.S. and around the world have begun to restrict access to DeepSeek, with Italy recently becoming the first nation to impose a nationwide restriction pending an investigation.
Last month, the South Korean regulator formally requested that DeepSeek clarify its data collection and management practices, requiring the company to appoint a local representative in Seoul and actively cooperate with the commission.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Monday, the Personal Information Protection Commission revealed that DeepSeek’s applications had been removed from local app stores, and access to its web service was halted at 6pm on Saturday. This ban will remain in effect until the company ensures "compliance" with local laws, according to Yonhap.
While the app is still accessible to users who had previously downloaded it, Seoul’s data watchdog has "strongly advised" them to "use the service with caution" until the final results of the investigation are released.
In January, the Hangzhou-based DeepSeek triggered a tech ‘arms race’ with the launch of an open-source version of its reasoning AI model, R1. The company claims the model was developed at a significantly lower cost while achieving performance levels comparable to competitors like OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Unlike its U.S. competitor, which provides advanced features via a subscription model, DeepSeek-R1 is freely accessible. This accessibility has helped it rise to the top of Apple’s App Store and Google Play rankings; however, its web-based service has experienced intermittent outages due to high demand.
DeepSeek also permits users to download its models for free and run them locally on their servers, bolstering the open-source community's belief that AI should be broadly available. This strategy contrasts with that of Western competitors, who typically emphasize proprietary models and limited access.
Despite these advantages, accessing the service through the company’s website or apps means that user data inevitably travels through DeepSeek’s Chinese servers, leading to concerns about data collection practices. As a result, several government bodies and businesses in the U.S. and around the world have begun to restrict access to DeepSeek, with Italy recently becoming the first nation to impose a nationwide restriction pending an investigation.
Last month, the South Korean regulator formally requested that DeepSeek clarify its data collection and management practices, requiring the company to appoint a local representative in Seoul and actively cooperate with the commission.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
