South Korean Intelligence Accuses DeepSeek Of Gathering Person Data Excessively
Several government ministries in South Korea have restricted access to DeepSeek due to security concerns, aligning with similar warnings and restrictions issued by Australia and Taiwan.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) has alleged that the Chinese AI app DeepSeek is gathering personal data excessively and utilizing all user inputs to enhance its training. The agency also raised concerns about the app's responses to queries on topics tied to national pride. Last week, the NIS issued an official advisory to government bodies, recommending heightened security measures regarding the use of the AI application.
The NIS in a statement said, “Unlike other generative AI services, it has been confirmed that chat records are transferable as it includes a function to collect keyboard input patterns that can identify individuals and communicate with Chinese companies’ servers such as volceapplog.com.”
Several government ministries in South Korea have restricted access to DeepSeek due to security concerns, aligning with similar warnings and restrictions issued by Australia and Taiwan.
According to the National Intelligence Service (NIS), DeepSeek allows advertisers unrestricted access to user data and stores the data of South Korean users on servers located in China. The agency further noted that, under Chinese law, the Chinese government can request and obtain access to this information.
DeepSeek On Sensitive Matters
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported that DeepSeek provides inconsistent answers to sensitive questions depending on the language used. For example, when asked about the origin of kimchi—a spicy, fermented dish central to South Korean cuisine—the app responded in Korean that kimchi is a Korean dish. However, when the same question was posed in Chinese, DeepSeek claimed the dish originated from China. Reuters verified these differing responses. The origin of kimchi has been a point of tension between South Korean and Chinese social media users in recent years.
Additionally, DeepSeek has faced accusations of censoring politically sensitive topics. When asked about events like the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, the app reportedly avoids addressing the issue directly, instead suggesting, “Let’s talk about something else.”
In response to questions regarding South Korean government departments restricting access to DeepSeek, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry stated during a February 6 briefing that the Chinese government places significant importance on data privacy and security, ensuring its protection in line with legal regulations.
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