DeepSeek, launched in January 2025, quickly became the most downloaded app on the iOS App Store in the US. Surpassing strong competitors like ChatGPT, the AI tool managed to reach a large user base. However, it has recently been at the center of security concerns and has faced consecutive bans.
South Korea’s Concerning Statement After Banning DeepSeek
As is known, DeepSeek was banned in South Korea following Italy and Australia. In this context, the Chinese AI tool has been prohibited from being used in the country’s government institutions and systems, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, and the Ministry of Defense.
The reason for this ban was DeepSeek’s failure to respond to an information request from South Korea’s data protection committee regarding how it manages user data.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) stated that the AI, already under scrutiny for security concerns, collects an “excessive amount” of users’ personal data and utilizes all login information for its own model. Moreover, last week, the agency issued an official warning to government offices, advising them to take security precautions against the application.
Additionally, Canada-based Feroot Security recently discovered a complexly hidden code on DeepSeek’s web login page. Upon decryption, it was found that the code established a connection to infrastructure belonging to China Mobile.
This code was determined to be integrated into DeepSeek’s account creation and login processes. Experts noted that this situation suggests user data might be accessible to the Chinese government.
