SEOUL: South Korea Thursday blacked the Chinese AI startup DeepSeek over security concerns.
As per details, South Korea’s defense and trade ministries blocked DeepSeek from accessing work computers. The decision followed a request from the country’s data watchdog. Authorities asked the Chinese AI startup to explain how it manages user data.
DeepSeek launched its R1 chatbot last month. The company claims it rivals top US AI models at a lower cost. South Korea, France, and Italy have questioned its data practices. They sent a formal request for details on how to handle its data.
Seoul’s defence ministry blocked DeepSeek on military work computers connected to the internet. The trade ministry also restricted access to all agency PCs.
“We have blocked DeepSeek on military work PCs with internet access,” a ministry official told AFP. The trade ministry said the ban is temporary. “We blocked DeepSeek because it has not responded to The Personal Information Protection Commission’s inquiry,” an official told AFP.
Last week, Italy launched an investigation into DeepSeek’s R1 model. Authorities blocked it from processing Italian users’ data. Australia also banned DeepSeek on all government devices based on security advice.
DeepSeek said it used H800 chips to power its AI model. These chips were legal for sale to China until 2023 under US export rules. South Korean firms Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix supply key AI server chips.
