South Korea imposes a ban on new downloads of DeepSeek AI

South Korea has banned new downloads of China’s DeepSeek AI chatbot, according to the nation’s personal data protection authority. The government stated that the app would be reinstated for South Korean users once “improvements and remedies” are made to ensure compliance with the country’s personal data protection laws.

DeepSeek gained massive popularity in South Korea, quickly topping app store rankings and attracting over a million weekly users. However, its rapid rise also prompted global scrutiny, with several countries imposing restrictions over privacy and national security concerns.

The South Korean Personal Information Protection Commission confirmed that DeepSeek was removed from Apple’s App Store and Google Play on Saturday evening. This move followed several South Korean government agencies prohibiting employees from downloading the chatbot on work devices. Acting President Choi Sang-mok called DeepSeek a “shock,” warning it could affect industries beyond just AI.

Despite the ban on new downloads, users who already have the app can continue using it, or access it via DeepSeek’s website. The app’s release late last month made headlines globally, marking a significant challenge to the US’s AI leadership and raising concerns about privacy and surveillance.

In addition to South Korea, other nations like Taiwan and Australia have also banned DeepSeek from government devices. Italy’s regulator, which briefly banned ChatGPT in 2023, has now placed a similar ban on DeepSeek until privacy concerns are addressed. In the US, lawmakers have introduced a bill to prohibit DeepSeek on federal devices, while states like Texas, Virginia, and New York have already enacted similar restrictions for state employees.

DeepSeek’s “large language model” (LLM) is reported to have reasoning capabilities similar to US models like OpenAI’s GPT, but at a fraction of the cost to train and operate. This has raised questions about the billions being invested in AI infrastructure in the US and elsewhere.