• South Korea's data authority accuses DeepSeek of unauthorized data transfers.
• DeepSeek allegedly shared user prompts with Chinese company Volcano Engine.
• The app was removed from South Korean app stores pending a privacy review.
• China's Foreign Ministry denied allegations of improper data collection.

South Korea's data protection agency has accused Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek of transferring user information and prompts without consent while the service was available for download. The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) reported that DeepSeek transferred personal data to several companies in China and the United States before halting its service in South Korea on February 15, 2025, according to Channel News Asia and Reuters.

The PIPC disclosed that DeepSeek shared user prompt content with Beijing Volcano Engine Technology Co. Ltd, which is linked to ByteDance, and also transmitted device, network, and app information alongside this data. An official stated that DeepSeek had “insufficiently considered Korea's data protection laws” and acknowledged the failure to obtain user consent for these actions, as reported by South China Morning Post and Al Jazeera.

Following the revelations, DeepSeek voluntarily suspended new downloads in South Korea and ceased data transfers on April 10, 2025. The company asserted that the data transfers were intended for security improvements and user experience enhancement, a claim that has been met with skepticism, particularly from international observers, as noted by Anadolu Agency and Channel News Asia.

In response to these allegations, China's Foreign Ministry emphasized its commitment to data privacy, denying any government mandate for companies to engage in illegal data collection practices. The ministry’s spokesperson reiterated, “We have never – and will never – require companies or individuals to collect or store data through illegal means,” according to Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.