South Korean intelligence agency: ‘DeepSeek excessively collects personal data’

The South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) has accused Chinese startup DeepSeek of “excessively” collecting personal data to train its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot.

“Unlike other generative AI services, it collects keyboard input patterns that can identify individuals, and includes the ability to communicate with Chinese company servers so that chat histories can be transmitted,” South Korea’s chief intelligence agency says in a statement.

That’s not all. DeepSeek utilizes all data it collects, with no possibility to block the use of users’ data as learning input. Furthermore, the Chinese AI chatbot shares all its information with advertisers. Additionally, retention periods are not specified, allowing unrestricted usage and sharing of users’ personal information with advertisers.

Lastly, all data that is collected overseas is being stored on servers in China. Under Chinese law, all this information is available and accessible to the Chinese government.

These are the conclusions of an investigation that was recently conducted by the National Intelligence Service. They confirm what privacy experts have been warning us about: DeepSeek is a wolf in sheep’s clothing and is only interested in our personal information.

Last week, several departments in South Korea decided to block DeepSeek from being used by civil servants due to security concerns. Italy, Australia and Taiwan did the same. Data protection authorities (DPAs) from other countries have warned people to be cautious when it comes to using DeepSeek.

Privacy regulators from Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, and the Netherlands have launched an investigation into DeepSeek’s privacy practices.

A spokesperson of China’s Department of Foreign Affairs told press agency Reuters that the Chinese government attaches great importance to data privacy and security and protects it in accordance with the law. He also said Beijing would never ask any company or individual to collect or store data in breach of laws.