DeepSeek continues to face a ban. The latest country to announce restrictions on China’s AI chatbot Deep Seek is South Korea. The South Korean government has temporarily suspended new downloads of DeepSeek over concerns about its data collection practices. The suspension will remain in place until regulators confirm the app complies with South Korean personal information protection laws. DeepSeek has rapidly gained global popularity since its launch last month, topping download charts in several countries across the world including South Korea. D
As of Monday night, the app was unavailable on Apple and Google app stores in South Korea, though it remained accessible via a web browser. The country’s Personal Information Protection Commission cited concerns over how DeepSeek processes user data and stated that addressing these issues would require significant time. In response, DeepSeek recently appointed an agent in South Korea to work with regulators.
China on DeepSeek ban
Responding to the ban on DeepSeek, China urged South Korea against “politicizing” trade issues after Seoul said it has suspended new downloads of the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) app DeepSeek over concerns about its data collection practices. The Chinese Foreign Ministry defended the company, stating that Chinese companies operate abroad in compliance with local laws and urged other nations to avoid politicizing trade and technology matters.
China also celebrated DeepSeek’s rise, with its founder, Liang Wenfeng, meeting President Xi Jinping alongside other tech executives on Monday.
Global ban on DeepSeek — US, Australia, Taiwan and …
Despite its success, DeepSeek has faced increasing scrutiny outside China. South Korea earlier directed government employees to avoid using the app on official devices. Aside from South Korea, Taiwan and Australia have also banned it from all government devices. In Europe, Italy and France have announced restrictions on DeepSeek app.
In the US, lawmakers have proposed a bill to ban DeepSeek from federal devices over surveillance concerns. At the state level, Texas, Virginia, and New York have already implemented similar restrictions for government employees.
