Republic of Korea: Personal Information Protection Commission adopted an order temporarily banning DeepSeek over violations of Personal Information Protection Act

On 17 February 2025, South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) adopted an order temporarily suspending DeepSeek from being downloaded. The suspension was effected due to concerns over DeepSeek's compliance with South Korea's Personal Information Protection Act. Following an internal review, the PIPC identified issues with third-party communication functions and privacy policies. It was highlighted that the suspension will remain in place until the necessary improvements and updates are made to align with domestic data protection requirements. PIPC also urged users to avoid entering personal information on the app and website until the situation is resolved, while the commission examines the data handling of existing users.