According to local media, South Korea said on Tuesday that a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup called DeepSeek had given the country’s user data to a third party.
According to the Yonhap News Agency accessed by BrandSpur digital news platform, South Korea’s data protection commission said that DeepSeek had transferred user data to ByteDance, the parent firm of the well-known video-sharing app TikTok, which is owned by China.
“We confirmed DeepSeek communicating with ByteDance,” the agency said, quoting a representative of the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC).
The most recent assertion from a PIPC official was made the day after DeepSeek’s data collection activities caused South Korea to halt fresh downloads. Internal access to the AI service was previously restricted by several South Korean government ministries and agencies due to worries about its “data management practices.”
Continuing, the commission officially requested clarity on DeepSeek’s data collecting and handling practices last month.
According to South Korean officials, DeepSeek has now designated a representative in the country, admitted its failure to take into account the privacy rules of the nation, and stated its intention to work with the commission. Last month, the Chinese firm DeepSeek shocked the AI industry with its free and affordable chatbot.
However, with far less funding, it quickly outperformed US-based OpenAI’s ChatGPT. DeepSeek overtook ChatGPT in several areas, including the US, and achieved previously unheard-of levels of popularity in mobile app stores worldwide.
