In brief
South Korea's government has halted new downloads of DeepSeek's AI chatbot, citing concerns about its adherence to local data protection laws. Despite its global popularity, the app’s access is restricted until compliance is assured.
The South Korean government announced on Monday it would temporarily ban new downloads of DeepSeek, a fast-rising artificial intelligence chatbot developed by the Chinese company. As of Monday night, the app was unavailable in both Apple and Google app stores within South Korea, although users could still access it through a web browser. Regulators stated that service would resume only once compliance with the country's personal information protection laws was verified.DeepSeek has gained immense popularity since its launch last month, quickly climbing to the top of app store rankings globally. The chatbot utilizes an advanced AI system, claiming performance comparable to major American tech products while being developed at a significantly lower cost. This claim, along with DeepSeek's ability to function with fewer costly computer chips than its competitors, led to considerable declines in U.S. tech stocks last month, igniting concerns regarding America's strategy to limit Chinese access to these components.Having recently risen to prominence, DeepSeek, backed by a trading firm, has received significant acclaim within China, where the company is viewed as a symbol of the nation’s tech sector. The founder, Liang Wenfeng, notably met with top leaders in China, including President Xi Jinping.However, the app has provoked security and data management concerns among global regulators. Earlier in February, South Korea advised its government employees to refrain from using DeepSeek products on official devices. Similar advisories were issued to workers in Taiwan and Australia due to apprehensions over the app's data management practices.The Personal Information Protection Commission in South Korea has reported issues with DeepSeek’s handling of personal information, indicating that rectifying these concerns will take considerable time. In response, DeepSeek appointed a local representative in South Korea last week.China’s foreign ministry has emphasized that Chinese enterprises are to operate in alignment with local regulations abroad. They also urged other nations to avoid politicizing trade and technological exchanges. Li You contributed research for this article, and Meaghan Tobin reports on business and technology in Asia, specifically covering China from Taipei, while Jin Yu Young reports from Seoul on South Korean and Asia-Pacific news.
