The National Intelligence Service (NIS) of South Korea has raised concerns about the Chinese AI application DeepSeek, alleging that it excessively gathers personal data and utilizes it to enhance its functionalities. The agency has also questioned the app’s responses to inquiries regarding sensitive national topics.
Last week, the NIS issued an official advisory to various government bodies, recommending that they implement security measures in light of potential risks associated with the AI application.
According to the NIS, DeepSeek has a distinctive feature that permits chat records to be shared, which includes the collection of keyboard input patterns capable of identifying individual users. This data is reportedly transmitted to servers affiliated with Chinese companies, including volceapplog.com, the agency disclosed in a statement on Sunday.
In response to these concerns, some South Korean government ministries have restricted access to DeepSeek, aligning with similar actions taken by Australia and Taiwan, which have also issued warnings regarding the app.
The NIS emphasized that DeepSeek grants marketers unrestricted access to user data while storing information from South Korean users on servers located in China. Under Chinese legislation, the Chinese authorities can request access to such data, which raises further concerns about user privacy.
Additionally, the NIS highlighted that DeepSeek provides inconsistent answers to critical questions, depending on the language used. For instance, when inquired about the origin of kimchi—a traditional and popular South Korean dish—the app identified it as a Korean creation when the question was posed in Korean. However, when the same question was presented in Chinese, the app attributed the dish’s origin to China, a discrepancy confirmed by Reuters.
The debate surrounding the origins of kimchi has often led to friction between South Korea and Chinese users on social media platforms in recent years.
Furthermore, DeepSeek has been criticized for evading responses to politically sensitive subjects, such as the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. In such cases, the app reportedly prompts users to alter the topic, saying, “Let’s talk about something else.”
DeepSeek has not yet replied to requests for comment. In a press briefing regarding the South Korean government’s actions against the app, a representative from the Chinese foreign ministry stated on February 6 that the Chinese government prioritizes data privacy and security, committing to legally safeguarding it.
The spokesperson assured that Beijing would never compel any company or individual to gather or store data unlawfully.
© Thomson Reuters 2025
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