South Korean Regulator: DeepSeek AI Chatbot Shares User Data with ByteDance
South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) has discovered that DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot, is transmitting user data to ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok.
The PIPC has suspended new downloads of DeepSeek in South Korea following this discovery. While the commission confirmed the data transfer, they haven't specified what type of information is being shared or how it's being used.
DeepSeek app interface on smartphone screen
Key findings:
- DeepSeek must obtain explicit user consent before sharing personal information with third parties under South Korean law
- The company has acknowledged gaps in its data collection policies
- DeepSeek has appointed a representative in South Korea and pledged to cooperate with authorities
- Multiple countries have found issues with DeepSeek's data harvesting practices
Security Scorecard, a U.S. cybersecurity firm, reported finding "multiple direct references to ByteDance-owned" services in DeepSeek's model, suggesting deep integration with ByteDance's analytics infrastructure.
Current restrictions:
- South Korea, Australia, and Taiwan have banned DeepSeek from government devices
- South Korean regulators advise users against entering personal information into the chatbot
- New downloads are temporarily suspended in South Korea
DeepSeek gained attention by claiming its AI model was trained at lower costs than U.S. competitors like ChatGPT. However, ongoing investigations into its data practices have raised significant privacy concerns across multiple jurisdictions.
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