South Korea says Deepseek transferred users’ data to China without consent

The South Korean Data Defense Management concluded that the startup of Chinese artificial intelligence Deepseek collected personal information from local users and handed it abroad without their permission.

Power, the Personal Information Commission, published the written written conclusion On Thursday, DEEPSEK’s privacy and security review.

This follows from the deepseek removal of his chatbot app from South Korean apps in February in Picp’s recommendation. Agency said Deepseek pledged to cooperate in their problems.

During the presence of Deepseek in South Korea, he transferred users’ data to several firms in China and the United States without receiving the necessary agreement from users and revealing the practice, Pipc said.

The agency has nominated a case or another case where Deepseek transmitted information from the written users of AI tips, as well as devices, network information and app information on the Chinese Cloud Service platform called Beijing Volcano Engine Technology Co.

While PIPC identified the technology of Engine Technology Technology Beijing as the “branch” of the owner of the Tiktok-owner, the Privacy Watchdog news company noted in the statement that the cloud platform “is a separate legal entity and is not relevant to byte.”

According to the PIPC, Deepseek said he had used the Beijing Volcano Engine Technology technology services to improve the safety and user experience of his application, but later blocked the transfer of operative information from April 10.

Deepseek and Bytedance did not immediately respond to CNBC requests.

In January, the AI ​​startup, founded in Hangzhou, accepted the world by storming when it presented its R1 reasoning, rival with the execution of Western competitors, despite the company’s statements that it was trained at relatively low cost and less advanced equipment.

However, the increase in the popularity of the application rapidly caused national security problems and data outside China because of Beijing’s requirements to share data from the PRC. Cybersecurity experts also indicated Data vulnerabilities in the application and expressed concern about the company’s privacy policy.

The PIPC said on Thursday that it had made a corrective Deepseek recommendation, which includes requests to immediately destroy AI’s Operational Information information, and create legal protocols to transfer personal information abroad.

When the data protection body announced the deepseek removal from local app stores, it signaled that the application would again be available if the company will introduce the necessary updates to execute local data protection policy.

What is the investigation followed after reports that some South Korean government agencies were Forbidden by employees to use Deepseek on work devices. Other global government agencies, including in Taiga. Australiaand Us. It is reported to have created similar bans.