By Gwurld4026 
DeepSeek Ban: South Korea Follows Italy and Australia
South Korea has joined Italy and Australia in restricting the use of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot, due to privacy and security concerns. The South Korean Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) announced the suspension of new downloads of DeepSeek’s app, citing the company’s failure to comply with the country’s personal data protection regulations. While the app has been removed from local versions of Apple’s App Store and Google Play, existing users can still access the service. The PIPC advises users to delete the app or avoid entering personal information until the identified privacy issues are resolved.
In response to South Korea’s actions, the Chinese government has urged against “politicizing” trade and emphasized its commitment to data privacy and legal compliance.
Italy was among the first countries to take action against DeepSeek, with its Data Protection Authority ordering a nationwide ban on January 28, 2025, preventing users from downloading the app through Apple and Google’s app stores.
Similarly, Australia has banned DeepSeek from all federal government devices, citing security concerns. This decision, based on advice from intelligence agencies, reflects apprehensions about data privacy and potential cybersecurity risks associated with the app.