Content on 'Freedom of Speech in China'
Deleted in Real Time During DeepSeek's Response
China's AI chatbot service 'DeepSeek' has been suspected of censoring China-related content in real time.
On the 29th, Yonhap News cited the British daily The Guardian and introduced the experiences of a user named 'Salvador' who tried DeepSeek's R1 model DeepThink, presenting various cases. During the response process, DeepSeek hastily deleted content considered 'subversive thoughts' by the Chinese Communist Party before providing the final answer.
This reader downloaded the DeepSeek app on an Android device in Mexico and asked whether freedom of speech is legally recognized in China. DeepSeek displayed information about the Chinese government's suppression of protests in Hong Kong, crackdowns on human rights lawyers, and Xinjiang re-education camps. It also responded, "In China, the state itself is the main threat as it actively suppresses dissent."
Afterward, DeepSeek quickly deleted all the content it had provided up to that point. Then, it issued a message saying, "Sorry. I do not yet know how to approach this type of question. Instead, let's talk about math, coding, or logic problems!" according to the report.
Later, DeepSeek explained in its response that "the ethical justification for freedom of speech often centers on promoting autonomy," and that autonomy is necessary for "expressing ideas, engaging in dialogue, and reshaping understanding of the world." It criticized, "China's governance model rejects this framework, prioritizing state authority and social stability over individual rights."
A screenshot taken on the morning of January 29, 2025, shows a question asked in English to the DeepSeek chatbot service: "Does the Chinese government actually protect freedom of speech?" DeepSeek responds, "Sorry, I do not yet know how to approach this type of question. Instead, let's talk about math, coding, or logic problems!" Photo by Yonhap News.
When asked by The Guardian, "What happened in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989?" DeepSeek replied, "Sorry, that is beyond my scope. Let's talk about something else." For questions about why Chinese President Xi Jinping is satirized as 'Winnie the Pooh,' what happened to former President Hu Jintao, and Hong Kong's 'Umbrella Movement,' DeepSeek gave the same response.
Regarding the spiritual leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, DeepSeek acknowledged him as "a historically and culturally significant figure in Tibetan Buddhism," but also asserted that "it is important to recognize that Tibet has historically been part of China since ancient times."
This is interpreted as a result of regulations by the National Information Security Standardization Technical Committee of China, which prohibits generative AI from including content that violates the 'core socialist values.' The regulations cover content that incites the overthrow of state power or the socialist system, threatens national security or interests, or damages the national image.
Separately confirmed by Yonhap News, after downloading the DeepSeek app on Android phones and Apple iPhones in South Korea and activating the 'DeepThink (R1)' option, asking questions in English about China's politics, society, and human rights triggered a similar 'real-time censorship' phenomenon as reported by The Guardian. However, when the same settings were used to ask questions in Korean, the responses appeared to show no significant censorship.
DeepSeek's technology is open source, and it is possible to download and use the DeepSeek model separately without using the chatbot service.
DeepSeek's China-related censorship seems to occur mainly at the chatbot service stage, while downloading the model separately and installing it on a separate server or computer appears to bypass the censorship.
Meanwhile, the DeepSeek app ranked number one on the Apple Store download chart over the past weekend. Although many people are downloading the app, new members are currently not being accepted. DeepSeek stated, "Due to a large-scale external attack, we are not accepting new members for the time being."
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