section_path: Concerns/Security and privacy
section_name: Security and privacy
paragraph_text: Security and privacy
  
  Many experts fear that the government of China could use the AI system for foreign influence operations, spreading disinformation, surveillance, and the development of cyberweapons. An article in Wired commented that the DeepSeek online service sending data to its home country might set "the stage for greater scrutiny".
  
  In February 2025, South Korea's data protection regulator, the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), raised concerns over DeepSeek, confirming that it sent the nation's user data to the owner of TikTok (ByteDance) in China. Accordingly, the PIPC banned new downloads of the app until DeepSeek addressed these concerns. The company's representative in Korea has partially acknowledged its shortcomings in complying with local data protection laws.
  
  On 29 January 2025, cybersecurity researchers from Wiz Research found a significant data breach at DeepSeek. This occurred due to an improper configuration of a cloud storage database that was left available online without any security precautions.The database at oauth2callback.deepseek.com:9000 and dev.deepseek.com:9000 contained more than a million sensitive entries, which comprised chat messages, API keys, operational details from the backend, system logs, and internal metadata from 6 January 2025. The breach was consequential as it provided complete control over the database, which could lead to unauthorized access and increased privileges within DeepSeek's systems. After Wiz Research reported the issue, DeepSeek secured the database in less than an hour, eliminating any immediate risks. However, the exposure sparked serious concerns about DeepSeek's data security practices and the possibility of facing regulatory action under laws like GDPR or CCPA, particularly if the data included personal information from EU or US residents.
  
  In April 2025, South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission announced that DeepSeek had transferred personal information on over a million South Koreans to China without consent. In June 2025, the Italian Competition Authority opened an investigation into DeepSeek over false information risks.