Downloads of DeepSeek Paused in South Korea Over Privacy Concerns

The Chinese ChatGPT rival has app suspended in South Korea, as local authorities advise caution.

The DeepSeek logo at the offices of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek in Hangzhou, China, on Feb. 5, 2025. STR/AFP via Getty Images

South Korea’s data protection authority said on Feb. 17 that it had suspended downloads of the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) app DeepSeek after Deepseek acknowledged partially neglecting the country’s data protection law.

The DeepSeek app was removed from local versions of Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store on the evening of Feb. 15.