The National Intelligence Service of South Korea (NIS) has accused the Chinese DEPSEEK application of excessive personal data collection and the use of all data entered by users to train the model. The agency also cast doubt on the objectivity of the AI’s responses to questions regarding national identity.
Authorities have issued warnings regarding the use of Deepseek. According to NIS, unlike other generative AI services, Deepseek stores chat records and collects data on keyboard input patterns to identify users. Additionally, the application transmits information to Chinese servers, including VolceApplog.com.
Several ministries in South Korea have already blocked access to the application, following in the footsteps of Australia and Taiwan, which have expressed similar concerns and imposed restrictions on Deepseek. The United States is also contemplating the possibility of banning the app.
NIS highlighted that advertisers have unrestricted access to user data, and data from South Korean users is stored on servers in China, making it potentially accessible to the Chinese government in accordance with local laws.
Korean intelligence was particularly alarmed by Deepseek’s responses to the same questions posed in different languages. For example, when asked about the origin of the traditional Korean dish Kimchi in Korean, Deepseek confirmed it as a Korean national dish. However, when the same question was posed in Chinese, Deepseek claimed that Kimchi originated in China. This discrepancy was verified by Reuters.
The origin of Kimchi has been a subject of contention between South Korean and Chinese social media users in recent years. Additionally, NIS stated that Deepseek censors discussions on politically sensitive topics. For instance, on the subject of the Events on TiananMen Square in 1989, the application suggested changing the conversation topic.
Deepseek has not responded to the allegations. On the other hand, a representative from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that Beijing prioritizes personal data protection and complies with relevant legislation. The official stressed that the Chinese government does not mandate companies or individuals to collect and store data in violation of laws.