South Korea’s PIPC has confirmed that DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot, shared data with ByteDance, prompting a suspension of new downloads due to data protection violations. As Italy and Australia enforce similar bans, the incident underscores growing global scrutiny of AI privacy practices.

South Korea has halted new downloads of China’s DeepSeek AI chatbot, citing privacy and national security concerns. This follows Italy’s earlier ban, with other countries imposing restrictions. Despite its cost-effective AI model, DeepSeek faces scrutiny over data collection and compliance with global privacy laws. Will it adapt to regain access?

As global concerns over AI security intensify, China’s AI sector faces heightened scrutiny over data privacy, surveillance, and geopolitical influence. While Beijing defends its AI governance, nations worldwide are tightening regulations, restricting Chinese firms, and investing in domestic AI development. Amid restrictions, China is forging AI partnerships in Africa and Southeast Asia to expand its global influence.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has issued a security warning about DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot accused of excessive data collection and keylogging. The agency claims the chatbot tracks users' keyboard input patterns and transfers data to Chinese servers, raising concerns about privacy, government surveillance, and potential security threats. Some countries have already banned the app.