South Korea blocks DeepSeek while investigating whether China is accessing user data

South Korean authorities have reported that DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) tool, has been temporarily removed from app stores across all devices in the country. The move comes as officials investigate its operations and assess whether China’s communist regime has access to users' personal data.

Choi Jang-hyuk, vice chairman of South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission, told AFP that DeepSeek will remain unavailable until authorities determine whether Xi Jinping’s government can access user data. He added that the commission will "thoroughly examine the data processing practices of the Chinese platform to verify its compliance."

South Korea becomes the first country to block DeepSeek on all devices within its territory. In Australia, authorities banned its download on government devices, citing the "security risks" posed by the Chinese AI. Taiwan implemented the same measure, while Italy and France have announced they are currently examining the tool.

Action against DeepSeek has already begun in the United States. Before lawmakers introduced a bill to ban its use on federal devices, Congress restricted its download and use by staff to prevent potential malware intrusion. Virginia became the first state to block the Chinese chatbot on government-issued devices, while Texas announced an investigation into the scope of DeepSeek and its ties to Xi Jinping's communist regime.

China asks not to "politicize" DeepSeek

As more countries and territories began blocking or investigating Chinese AI tools, the communist regime requested that DeepSeek not be "politicized," while assuring that it respects the security and data privacy of all users.

"We hope that the countries concerned avoid taking measures that go beyond the concept of security and politicize commercial and technological issues," said Guo Jiakun, spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, in statements reported by AFP.

Shortly after its launch, DeepSeek sparked concerns, not over the threat to American industry, but over the risks it poses to the users of the chatbot itself.