According to TechRadar , the Korean Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) said it had discovered that DeepSeek had contacted ByteDance and was investigating what data was transferred and to what extent. The agency also temporarily blocked new downloads of the DeepSeek app to protect citizens' privacy.
"We have confirmed DeepSeek's connection to ByteDance, but we are yet to determine what data was shared and to what extent," a PIPC official told Yonhap News Agency. DeepSeek did not directly comment on the allegations, but acknowledged "shortcomings in compliance with local data protection laws" and pledged to cooperate with authorities.
DeepSeek - Chinese AI chatbot, facing scrutiny after data privacy violations allegations
The South Korean incident is part of a growing wave of scrutiny over DeepSeek, a Chinese tech company that has emerged as a leader in artificial intelligence. DeepSeek’s AI chatbot has attracted global attention since its launch in January, racking up 12 million downloads in just 48 hours. But countries and territories including the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Taiwan, and Australia are raising questions about how DeepSeek handles user data, especially when it stores it on servers in China.
According to DeepSeek's privacy policy, user data may be used to "comply with legal obligations or protect the public interest," raising concerns that personal data could be exploited at the request of Chinese authorities.
Meanwhile, ByteDance has denied any access to DeepSeek data. According to The Independent , the company has claimed that the connection between the two platforms is limited to DeepSeek's use of cloud storage services from Volcano Engine, a platform owned by ByteDance. However, a report from cybersecurity firm SecurityScorecard found "integrations with ByteDance services" in DeepSeek's source code.
PIPC is now conducting a further investigation to clarify how DeepSeek handles users' personal data. If found to have violated data protection laws, DeepSeek could face severe penalties from the South Korean government.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/deepseek-bi-giam-sat-tai-han-quoc-do-lo-ngai-ro-ri-du-lieu-sang-bytedance-185250220101920289.htm
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