South Korea blocks DeepSeek downloads over privacy violations
South Korea's data protection regulator blocked downloads of the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek in February 2025 after finding third-party data transfers and insufficient privacy transparency. The regulator confirmed DeepSeek communicates with ByteDance but said the scope of data transfer had not yet been determined. DeepSeek acknowledged failing to account for South Korean privacy rules and can return to app stores after implementing corrective measures.
What happened
South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) blocked downloads of the Chinese chatbot DeepSeek from Apple App Store and Google Play over the weekend of 15-16 February 2025, after local media reported privacy concerns.
The PIPC discovered third-party data transfers and insufficient transparency in DeepSeek's privacy policy. DeepSeek acknowledged it had not considered South Korea's data protection rules. The PIPC confirmed that DeepSeek communicates with ByteDance but stated it had not yet determined what data was transferred or its extent.
Reported impact
DeepSeek had become extremely popular in South Korea with over one million weekly users before the block. Users who already installed the app could continue using it or access it via the website.
South Korea's acting president Choi Sang-mok described DeepSeek as a 'shock' that could affect industries beyond artificial intelligence in the country.
Index analysis
Taiwan and Australia also restricted the use of DeepSeek on all government devices, and several European countries raised data protection concerns about the application.
Governance controls
The PIPC stated that DeepSeek would be made available to South Korean users again after implementing 'improvements and corrective measures' to ensure compliance with national data protection regulations. The regulator recommended users exercise caution and avoid entering personal data into the chatbot.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.