1. Following the launch of DeepSeek's gobal services in South Korea, the
Korean Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) sent an official
inquiry to the company’s headquarters regarding the collection and processing of personal
data. Also, the PIPIC conducted its own analysis and identified certain
inadequacies in DeepSeek’s privacy policy in light of
South Korea's privacy protection laws (‘privacy laws’).
2. DeepSeek has appointed a local representative in South Korea and also
acknowledged that during the process of launching its global services, there
was some oversight regarding the privacy laws.
3. Given the need for significant time to ensure full compliance with the
privacy laws, the PIPC advised that a temporary suspension of the DeepSeek service
was necessary to prevent the spread of further concerns. In response, DeepSeek
has suspended new downloads of its app on the app marketplaces in South Korea
since 6:00 p,m. on February 15th.
4. During the suspension period, the PIPC will closely monitor DeepSeek’s data processing practices and ensure
that the service aligns with the privacy laws.
5. In the upcoming conclusion of this case, the PIPC plans to:
a. Provide guidelines (in the form of a checklist) for foreign AI
developers to ensure they assess their services' compliance with the privacy
laws before launching in South Korea;
b. Propose amendments to the privacy laws to introduce specific provisions
for AI technologies and enhanced enforcement measures for foreign businesses;
and,
c. Strengthen international cooperation with other countries' regulatory
bodies. This will be further detailed at the upcoming Global Privacy Assembly
(GPA) in Seoul, Korea in September 2025.
Should you
have any question or comment, please feel free to reach out at openvisakorea.com.
