PIPC Raises Security Concerns Over DeepSeek... Official Inquiry Sent to Chinese Headquarters

"Urging Cautious Use"
Encouraging DeepSeek's Cooperation Through Diplomatic Channels
Collaborating With Major National Personal Information Authorities

As concerns grow over excessive collection and leakage of personal information regarding the Chinese generative artificial intelligence (AI) startup DeepSeek, the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) has urged cautious use. The PIPC has sent an inquiry letter to DeepSeek's headquarters in China regarding the personal information processing procedures.

On the afternoon of the 7th, the PIPC held a briefing at the Government Seoul Office and stated, "Considering the ongoing security concerns raised during the use of the (DeepSeek) service, we urge cautious use."

In response to concerns about excessive personal information collection related to DeepSeek, the PIPC sent an official inquiry to DeepSeek's headquarters on the 31st of last month regarding the data collection and processing methods during the development and provision of the service. The main points of the inquiry include ▲the entity responsible for personal information processing ▲items collected ▲purpose of collection ▲methods of collection, use, and storage ▲whether information is shared, among others.

The PIPC is also independently reviewing DeepSeek's personal information processing procedures. It is conducting its own analysis of DeepSeek's privacy policy and terms of use. Additionally, together with specialized institutions, the PIPC is setting up an actual usage environment for DeepSeek to perform technical analysis of data and traffic transmitted during service use.

However, the PIPC did not provide clear answers regarding the investigation deadline or follow-up measures. It explained that it takes about two weeks on business days to receive a response to the inquiry sent to DeepSeek, and that multiple rounds of questions and answers typically occur during this process. The PIPC stated, "Since the safety or risks of (DeepSeek) have not been specifically confirmed, this is not an official investigation stage," and added, "It is difficult to specify any concrete measures that can be taken at this time."

Furthermore, the PIPC plans to request smooth cooperation from DeepSeek through diplomatic channels. Through the Korea-China Personal Information Protection Cooperation Center (KISA Beijing Office) located in Beijing, the PIPC is attempting communication with DeepSeek's headquarters locally in China and will also seek cooperation through official diplomatic channels. The PIPC is also cooperating with major national personal information regulatory bodies. It has begun consultations and is sharing related situations with the UK ICO, France's CNIL, and Ireland's DPC. The PIPC is discussing joint response measures with them in the future.

The PIPC stated, "After a prompt review of the service, we plan to propose measures to safely utilize personal information without concerns if necessary," and added, "We plan to create and distribute policy materials within the first quarter that guide public and private organizations of a certain scale on precautions to take from a personal information perspective."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.