South Korea has suspended new downloads of the DeepSeek app due to concerns over the misuse of personal information. This move comes after the app's rapid rise to popularity, surpassing ChatGPT as the most-downloaded free app on the iOS App Store in the United States.
DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence company, released the chatbot on January 10, 2025, and it quickly gained attention for its advanced language processing capabilities. However, the app's success has also raised concerns about data privacy and security, particularly given its compliance with Chinese government censorship policies.
The Italian data protection authority, the United States National Security Council, and South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission have all launched investigations into DeepSeek's data collection practices. Additionally, several countries, including Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands, have banned the app from government devices due to security concerns.
The controversy surrounding DeepSeek highlights the ongoing debate about the balance between technological innovation and data protection. As AI technology continues to evolve, it's essential to address these concerns to ensure that users' personal information is safeguarded.
