DeepSeek accused of sharing user data with TikTok owner ByteDance

(NewsNation) — South Korea has accused Chinese AI startup DeepSeek of sharing user data with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance.

"We confirmed DeepSeek communicating with ByteDance," the South Korean data protection regulator told Yonhap News Agency, BBC News reported.

In January, the Chinese app rattled the AI world, causing global stock markets to lose billions amid claims that its new model was trained at a much lower cost than U.S. rivals like ChatGPT. Like the U.S., China has invested billions into artificial intelligence.

Multiple countries have since warned that user data may not be properly protected, BBC reports.

South Korea removed DeepSeek from app stores over the weekend over data protection concerns. The app had been downloaded over a million times before being pulled from Apple and Google's App Stores.