South Korea’s data privacy watchdog has accused Chinese AI app DeepSeek of unlawfully exporting user data to companies in China and the U.S. without consent. The platform, briefly a global sensation in early 2025, is now at the center of a major international privacy scandal with implications for national security and digital sovereignty.
DeepSeek, which claimed to rival platforms like ChatGPT at a lower cost, was downloaded widely before South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) intervened. The app was linked to ByteDance, the controversial Chinese tech conglomerate behind TikTok, long criticized for its ties to the Chinese Communist Party and invasive data practices.
Between January 15 and February 15, DeepSeek transferred sensitive data from as many as 1.5 million South Korean users to three Chinese firms and one U.S.-based company. The information included details about users’ devices, networks, software, and even the specific questions users posed to the AI. Investigators said no consent was obtained for these transfers, and DeepSeek’s privacy policy failed to disclose the extent of the data collection.
The app also lacked safeguards to prevent data collection from children under 14 and did not provide any opt-out option for users concerned about their data being used to train Chinese AI systems. The app was pulled from availability in South Korea in February after a preliminary investigation, though it was not officially banned. PIPC ordered the company to comply with South Korean law within 70 days or face further action.
China responded with outrage, accusing South Korea of politicizing AI and following U.S. directives. These accusations followed a U.S. House Select Committee report that revealed DeepSeek’s AI was programmed to push Chinese Communist Party ideology while censoring politically sensitive topics. DeepSeek is now under separate scrutiny by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Despite Beijing’s denials, DeepSeek has admitted to privacy violations. The PIPC has not given a timeline for the app’s possible reinstatement in South Korea but emphasized the seriousness of the breaches. South Korea’s strong response signals a growing global pushback against unchecked Chinese tech influence and data exploitation.
