South Korea joins Italy and Australia in banning DeepSeek

South Korea has become the latest country to ban the Chinese AI app DeepSeek over data protection concerns. The move follows significant backlash against the chatbot, which recently surpassed OpenAIs ChatGPT to become the most popular AI app in the US. The app’s sudden rise in popularity has raised security, privacy, and ethical concerns, including its refusal to answer questions about the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. South Koreas Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) announced that new downloads of DeepSeek would be blocked while it conducts a review of how the app handles users’ personal data. [DeepSeek] acknowledged that considerations for domestic privacy laws were somewhat lacking, the PIPC said. To prevent further concerns from spreading, the commission recommended that DeepSeek temporarily suspend its service while making the necessary improvements. The restriction aims to prevent new downloads of the app in South Korea, though its web-based service remains accessible. The Chinese startup recently appointed legal representatives in South Korea and admitted to overlooking aspects of the countrys data protection laws, according to the PIPC. The move follows similar actions taken by other countries. Last month, Italys data protection authority, the Garante, ordered DeepSeek to halt its chatbot services in the country after it failed to address privacy concerns. Meanwhile, Australia has banned all DeepSeek products from government devices, citing them as a national security risk. DeepSeek has not yet responded to requests for comment. When asked about South Koreas decision, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson stated on February 6 that the Chinese government attaches great importance to data privacy and security and protects it in accordance with the law. The spokesperson also insisted that Beijing does not require companies or individuals to collect or store data in violation of privacy laws. The crackdown on DeepSeek is also gaining traction in the US, where lawmakers recently introduced a bill that would ban Americans from using the app or interacting with any AI technologies developed in China. If passed into law, violations could carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison.The post South Korea joins Italy and Australia in banning DeepSeek appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.