Downloads of DeepSeek's AI apps paused in South Korea over privacy concerns
Seoul (AP): DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence startup, has temporarily paused downloads of its chatbot apps in South Korea while it works with local authorities to address privacy concerns, according to South Korean officials on Monday.
South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission said DeepSeek's apps were removed from the local versions of Apple's App Store and Google Play on Saturday evening and that the company agreed to work with the agency to strengthen privacy protections before relaunching the apps.
The action does not affect users who have already downloaded DeekSeek on their phones or use it on personal computers. Nam Seok, director of the South Korean commission's investigation division, advised South Korean users of DeepSeek to delete the app from their devices or avoid entering personal information into the tool until the issues are resolved.
Many South Korean government agencies and companies have either blocked DeepSeek from their networks or prohibited employees from using the app for work, amid worries that the AI model was gathering too much sensitive information.
The South Korean privacy commission, which began reviewing DeepSeek's services last month, found that the company lacked transparency about third-party data transfers and potentially collected excessive personal information, Nam said.
Nam said the commission did not have an estimate on the number of DeepSeek users in South Korea. A recent analysis by Wiseapp Retail found that DeepSeek was used by about 1.2 million smartphone users in South Korea during the fourth week of January, emerging as the second-most-popular AI model behind ChatGPT.
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'Did anyone die?' asks Lamborghini driver after hitting two pedestrians in Noida, arrested
Noida (PTI): A Lamborghini hit two pedestrians on a footpath adjacent to an under-construction building in sector 94 here on Sunday, police said.
The injured, labourers from Chhattisgarh, were rushed to a nearby hospital and are said to be out of danger. They have suffered a fracture in their legs, police said.
A purported video surfaced online showing that after the accident, a man was heard asking the accused if he knew how many people died here. To this, the accused asked the locals "koi mar gaya idhar? (did anyone die here?)" and came out of the car.
Following this, someone in the video could be heard saying, "police ko bulao (call the police)".
Bhupendra Singh, In-charge at Sector 126 Police Station told PTI, "In the car accident two labourers were injured and they were from Chhattisgarh. They are out of danger and have fractures in their legs."
The accident happened adjacent to an under-construction building, he said.
"The car driver has been identified as Deepak, a resident of Ajmer and the car is registered with the Puducherry registration. He has been arrested and the car has been seized," he added.
During questioning he told the police that the accident happened due to a fault in the vehicle. Further investigation is underway, Singh said.
#WATCH | Noida, Uttar Pradesh: Two people were injured after being hit by a Lamborghini car near Sector 94 roundabout in Sector-126 police station area. The car is registered in the name of Mridul and was being driven by Deepak. The driver, Deepak, a resident of Ajmer, has been… pic.twitter.com/sJiFcqdMm7
— ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2025
नोएडा: तेज रफ्तार लैम्बॉर्गिनी कार ने एमिटी यूनिवर्सिटी के पास M3M प्रोजेक्ट साइट के बाहर फुटपाथ पर बैठे मजदूरों को कुचला। pic.twitter.com/yDF4OhFs2B
— Greater Noida West (@GreaterNoidaW) March 30, 2025
