NewDelhi: An AI tool from China called DeepSeek has just hit the shelves. However, it has already been banned in numerous countries due to privacy issues. Countries from the US to India are worried that it is endangering user data. The concern is that personal details could get breached, with some even speculating that the tool may be a source for sensitive data harvesting. It has also been banned in some countries, including Italy and Ireland, which means it cannot be downloaded from Apple’s App Store or made available via Google Play.
After the ban, Italy’s data protection authority said that it had immediately prohibited Chinese firms Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence and Beijing DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence, which provide the DeepSeek chatbot service, from processing the data of Italian users. The regulator noted that it was unclear whether users were adequately informed about the kind of data used to train DeepSeek’s AI system. The statement said, “We have never had precise answers to our questions. We are now initiating an investigation into the matter, and we hope DeepSeek will be able to provide clarity.
DeepSeek is undoubtedly a technological wonder, but it has raised scepticism around the globe. It is seen by many as a possible bait because they believe that China will use the tool in hand to intrude into personal devices, such as phones, laptops, and computers, to steal private information. Months before the launch of DeepSeek, conversations surrounding the expenses associated with the development of AI tools reigned supreme. China could create the tool at a much less expensive cost than typical questions about whether such tools can protect user privacy as effectively as costly devices.
DeepSeek provides its privacy policy on the DeepSeek platform, which lists three methods of collecting data: information users provide, automatically collected information and information from other sources. Those who sign up for an account provide personal information — their name, email address, and phone number. Automatic data collection is information regarding your device and how you are connected to the network, and third–party data is External data.
Even with these measures in place, however, the outrage over DeepSeek only seems to be increasing. Many people consider the privacy cost far too high, even for a low-cost search engine.