DeepSeek Sidesteps South Korea Ban, Continues Data Transfers to China

Quick Summary:

• DeepSeek AI,a Chinese-developed chatbot app,went viral in January and topped the iPhone App Store charts.
• Concerns arose over privacy issues as the app reportedly transfers user data, including prompts, device facts, and network/app data to China.
• South Korea’s Personal Information Protection commission (PIPC) investigated DeepSeek and found it transfers data without user consent to both Chinese and US companies.
• The investigation revealed that DeepSeek uses a cloud company called Beijing Volcano Engine Technology co., affiliated with ByteDance (owner of TikTok), though the companies are not directly connected.
• Despite privacy concerns,South Korea allowed DeepSeek apps back onto local app stores after requiring updates to its privacy policy specific to South Korean users. Authorization is now mandatory for transferring data to China.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The developments surrounding DeepSeek AI highlight increasing global scrutiny on digital privacy rights in the age of AI. For India-a rapidly digitizing economy-it raises pertinent questions about how external apps manage sensitive user data. With existing concerns over similar apps like TikTok already influencing public discourse here, India’s regulatory bodies should watch such cases closely for cues on strengthening domestic frameworks around data sovereignty.

South Korea’s approach demonstrates how countries can strike an operational balance between allowing innovative technologies while prioritizing robust protections via mandatory local adaptations. lessons from this might help inspire scalable measures within India’s own digital ecosystem as foreign tech dependence increases alongside national ambitions in developing indigenous solutions.

Read More