South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) plans to send an official inquiry to DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup, officials confirmed Friday to Yonhap.
The PIPC, which operates under the Ministry of the Interior, will request detailed information on DeepSeek’s personal data collection policies and how the company uses such data to train its AI models.
A commission official stated that the growing number of South Korean users on DeepSeek’s platform, combined with concerns about potential privacy risks, prompted the inquiry.
"Depending on the response, we will take further steps such as a fact-finding review or an investigation if necessary," the official added.
Reports from major international media suggest that government institutions and companies worldwide have begun restricting access to DeepSeek over fears of data leaks and privacy violations.
According to DeepSeek's privacy policy, the company collects various forms of personal information, including:
Names, birth dates, email addresses, and phone numbers
Passwords, keyboard input patterns, and audio data
Uploaded files and chat histories
The policy also states that DeepSeek reserves the right to share user data with law enforcement and public agencies at its discretion.
DeepSeek’s data collection policies have sparked growing international concern, particularly as AI-driven platforms become more integrated into daily life.
