DeepSeek’s logo was on January 29, 2025.
Andrey Rudakov | Bloomberg | Getty Images
South Korea’s data protection agency said on Monday that a new download of DeepSeek’s Chinese AI app DeepSeek has been suspended after DeepSeek admitted that it failed to take into account certain rules for the agency to protect personal data.
The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) said in a media briefing that the application’s services will be restored once improvements are made under the country’s privacy laws.
The agency said the measures that came into effect on Saturday were intended to block new downloads of the app, although DeepSeek’s web service is still accessible in the country.
The Chinese startup appointed a legal representative in South Korea last week and admitted partially neglecting considerations in the country’s data protection law, PIPC said.
Italy’s data protection agency Garante said last month Command DeepSeek to block Its chatbots have failed to address regulatory concerns about its privacy policy.
DeepSeek did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
When asked about the early action taken by South Korean government departments to stop DeepSeek, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a February 6 briefing that the Chinese government attaches great importance to data privacy and security and has protected it under the law.
The spokesperson also said that Beijing will never require any company or individual to collect or store data in violation of the law.
