Key Takeaways
- Chinese AI service DeepSeek is available again on South Korean app stores after a two-month pause.
- Downloads were halted in February due to concerns over user data handling.
- DeepSeek updated its privacy policy to align with South Korean data protection laws.
- Users now have more control over whether their data is transferred internationally.
The Chinese artificial intelligence service DeepSeek returned to South Korean app markets like Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store this week.
This comes after a suspension of about two months.
Downloads were initially stopped in February after South Korean authorities raised concerns about how the app handled user data.
South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission noted that the service had transferred user information and prompts without proper permission when it first launched in January.
DeepSeek has since revised its privacy policy for South Korean users.
The company stated in the updated policy, “We process your personal information in compliance with the Personal Information Protection Act of Korea.”
According to reports from Yahoo Finance, the updated policy gives users the choice to refuse the transfer of personal information to certain companies located in China and the United States.
South Korea’s data protection agency confirmed that DeepSeek voluntarily decided to make the app available again after addressing the commission’s recommendations, at least in part.
DeepSeek had not immediately provided further comment on the situation as of Monday.
