DeepSeek, which has been embroiled in controversy over excessive collection of personal information including sensitive data, has confirmed that it has partially revised its privacy policy.
According to the privacy policy updated by DeepSeek on the 14th (local time), the item "user's keyboard input patterns," which was included in the previous policy's data collection items, has been removed.
User keyboard input patterns can identify individual characteristics and potentially infer passwords, making it a major concern for privacy violations as it may constitute sensitive information.
The practice of storing collected information in China remains unchanged. However, a proviso clause stating that "protective measures will be used when transferring personal information to specific countries if necessary" has been added.
The previously unimplemented "opt-out" option was not introduced this time either. Opt-out is a feature that allows data subjects to explicitly refuse data collection, such as in generative AI, thereby stopping the collection of their data.
In revising the privacy policy, DeepSeek also established additional terms for European countries including the entire European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
In these terms, DeepSeek promised to "use personal data of users from affiliated countries only within the scope permitted by law." Furthermore, it detailed the purposes of processing, defined the types of personal information collected, and separately provided the legal basis for their use.
This move is interpreted as a response to recent actions not only in South Korea but also in several countries banning the use of DeepSeek on government-owned devices, and the United States planning to soon propose legislation prohibiting government agencies from using DeepSeek.
However, no individual policies related to Korean users were established in this revision.
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