South Korean Regulator Confirms DeepSeek AI Shares User Data with ByteDance
South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) has discovered that DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot, is transmitting user data to ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok. This finding has led to immediate restrictions on new downloads of DeepSeek in South Korea.
The PIPC has confirmed direct communication between DeepSeek and ByteDance, though specific details about the type and extent of data being shared remain unclear. This practice violates South Korean law, which requires explicit user consent for sharing personal information with third parties.
DeepSeek app interface on smartphone screen
DeepSeek has acknowledged its data collection policies don't meet South Korean legal requirements and has appointed a local representative to work with the commission. The company, which gained attention for claiming to train AI models more cost-effectively than U.S. competitors like ChatGPT, is now under scrutiny globally for its data handling practices.
Security Scorecard, a U.S. cybersecurity firm, recently analyzed DeepSeek's Android app and found multiple references to ByteDance-owned services, suggesting deep integration with ByteDance's analytics and monitoring infrastructure.
Following Australia and Taiwan's lead, South Korea has banned DeepSeek from government devices. While the app remains available to general users, Korean regulators strongly advise against entering personal information into the chatbot.
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