Concerns surrounding DeepSeek’s privacy have prompted investigations in both the US and Europe, resulting in the app’s removal from the App Store in Italy. It appears that similar actions may be taken in other regions.
Italy’s privacy authority scrutinized whether the app adheres to GDPR, a stringent privacy regulation effective across 30 countries…
A Brief Overview of DeepSeek
DeepSeek is an AI chatbot developed in China that showcased performance benchmarks aligning with some of the top global models. Experts quickly validated these claims, expressing surprise at how China managed to achieve this at a significantly lower development cost than US models, able to run on modestly-equipped personal computers.
The app swiftly ascended to the top of Apple’s App Store rankings.
This situation has raised concerns regarding the potential overvaluation of US AI companies. It was previously believed that the substantial hardware expenses associated with developing large language models (LLMs) would deter competition from smaller enterprises, solidifying the demand for Nvidia GPUs. However, these assumptions have now been questioned, contributing to declines in the stock values of several companies.
DeepSeek’s Privacy Issues
Many AI chatbots possess privacy policies that permit them to learn from user interactions, which naturally raises significant privacy concerns.
The Chinese ownership of DeepSeek has intensified apprehensions regarding its practices for collecting and utilizing personal data. Reuters indicates that Italy’s privacy authority has posed several inquiries about the app’s compliance with GDPR, granting the company a 20-day period to reply.
The Italian data protection body stated it seeks clarification from DeepSeek regarding its handling of personal data. The Garante expressed interest in knowing what personal data is gathered, from which sources, the purposes of collection, the legal basis, and whether this data is stored in China.
Moreover, US authorities are investigating the app.
The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that US officials are examining the national security implications of DeepSeek, with the National Security Council reviewing the app’s broader implications.
Removal of DeepSeek from the Italian App Store
As a result of the Garante’s inquiries, DeepSeek has been pulled from both Apple and Google’s app stores in Italy. It is uncertain whether this was a decision made by DeepSeek or by the app store providers.
Access to the Chinese AI app DeepSeek was reportedly unavailable on Wednesday in Apple and Google app stores in Italy, following the data protection authority’s request for information regarding its handling of personal data.
Reuters has also reported that Ireland’s privacy regulator has posed similar questions.
GDPR is applicable across all 27 EU countries, along with three EEA nations, meaning a total of 30 countries require compliance from companies. Inadequate responses to inquiries from Italy and Ireland could potentially result in the app being banned in all these regions.
DMN’s Perspective
The privacy concerns associated with DeepSeek are prevalent among most generative AI services. Given the similarities in their privacy frameworks, it appears the primary distinction lies in the level of trust afforded to US companies compared to their Chinese counterparts. It is advisable to refrain from including personal information in your interactions with chatbots.
A notable exception is Apple Intelligence, which does not utilize user data for training purposes. Furthermore, Apple’s partnership with OpenAI ensures that ChatGPT is similarly restricted when accessed as a fallback to Apple Intelligence. Therefore, using ChatGPT through Siri is the safest option available.
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
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