DeepSeek shared user data with TikTok owner ByteDance

• South Korea has accused Chinese AI startup DeepSeek of sharing user data with ByteDance. The China-based company is the owner of TikTok.
• South Korea already removed DeepSeek from app stores over data protection concerns. 
• DeepSeek said it is cooperating with South Korean officials.

---

Full Story

One day after banning DeepSeek in South Korea, officials said the AI chatbot developed by a China-based startup shared user data with ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok. The South Korean Personal Information Protection Commission confirmed the news Tuesday, Feb. 18 after already removing DeepSeek from app stores over data protection concerns. 

There’s currently no confirmation on what data was transferred and to what extent.

South Korean law states, explicit consent is required from a user if the user’s personal information is provided to a third party.

The protection commission sent a formal inquiry to DeepSeek asking for clarification on the service’s data collection.

How is DeepSeek responding to South Korea’s claim?

According to Yonhap News Agency, DeepSeek assigned a representative in South Korea and acknowledged its faults for not considering local protection laws.

The company said it will cooperate with the commission. 

What is DeepSeek?

The company claimed it built its AI system with far fewer high-end computer chips than competitors, raising questions about how it bypassed U.S. export restrictions designed to limit China’s access to advanced semiconductors.

In South Korea, the DeepSeek app was downloaded over a million times before being pulled from Apple and Google’s app stores.

Fears over user data being sent to China was one of the reasons the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ban on TikTok.  

The U.S. ban is on hold until President Donald Trump attempts to negotiate a resolution.