South Korea blocks access to Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek

Tengrinews.kz – South Korea's Ministry of Finance has announced plans to block access to the Chinese AI-powered chatbot DeepSeek, citing concerns over potential data leaks, Yonhap News Agency reports.
The restriction, aimed at government officials, is due to risks associated with generative AI services and the possibility of sensitive information being compromised.

"Due to multiple technical concerns raised about DeepSeek from home and abroad, we plan to block access for the service on PCs connected to external networks," the official said.

Access to DeepSeek has already been restricted on computers at South Korea's Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Defense Ministries. The Ministry of Unification has also announced plans to block access to AI-powered services, including DeepSeek.

"The unification ministry has (since 2023) prohibited the input of undisclosed official data into all generative AI at the request of the National Intelligence Service and the interior ministry," the official said.

Previously, Italy also blocked DeepSeek over concerns regarding data protection.
Meanwhile, OpenAI has accused DeepSeek of using its data to develop its own product and is considering legal action over potential intellectual property violations.