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South Korean regulator accuses DeepSeek of sharing user data with ByteDance

bbc.com

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Re: South Korean regulator accuses DeepSeek of sharing user data with ByteDance

#31

Post by varenc »

Some missing context is that the data is shared via the DeepSeek app's use of ByteDance analytics/configuration frameworks. So not a backroom deal where DeekSeek handed over the chat history for its user base, but rather ongoing analytics data being sent from the DeepSeek mobile app.

Here's the SecurityScoreCard article that brought attention to this: https://securityscorecard.com/blog/a-deep-peek-at-deepseek/#...

Besides the usual analytics data (device metadata, user behavior, app performance, errors, etc), it's possible raw chat data is being shared as well, but it's not a smoking gun.

Re: South Korean regulator accuses DeepSeek of sharing user data with ByteDance

#32

Post by baq »

KeplerBoy wrote: post #9
Sohcahtoa82 wrote: post #8

This is my surprised face -_- If you're shocked or even the slightest bit surprised, then I can't imagine how blissful your life is to be so unaware about how much corporations are sharing data with each other. Like, I wholeheartedly expect that if I mention Beyblade toys on Facebook, then the next time I visit Amazon, they'll be suggesting Beyblades even if I've never even searched Amazon for toys, let alone Beyblad…

That's literally Meta's business model, they will happily explain how thats going for them in public investors' calls every few months. With deepseek and bytedance things are a lot less clear cut.

what is less clear cut? you can safely assume they do at least the same things as meta.

Re: South Korean regulator accuses DeepSeek of sharing user data with ByteDance

#33

Post by tokioyoyo »

KeplerBoy wrote: post #9
Sohcahtoa82 wrote: post #8

This is my surprised face -_- If you're shocked or even the slightest bit surprised, then I can't imagine how blissful your life is to be so unaware about how much corporations are sharing data with each other. Like, I wholeheartedly expect that if I mention Beyblade toys on Facebook, then the next time I visit Amazon, they'll be suggesting Beyblades even if I've never even searched Amazon for toys, let alone Beyblad…

That's literally Meta's business model, they will happily explain how thats going for them in public investors' calls every few months. With deepseek and bytedance things are a lot less clear cut.

Bytedance's entire business model is based on user-targeting and showing things what they might enjoy watching, so they can push more ads to them. I wouldn't be surprised if they bought the data to train their own LLMs.

Re: South Korean regulator accuses DeepSeek of sharing user data with ByteDance

#34

Post by DyslexicAtheist »

lelandfe wrote: post #28
DyslexicAtheist wrote: post #6

wait, is this a bad thing for US Tech companies? Guess if that's a yes this is good for Europe?

The US decided ByteDance and TikTok were national security threats, so presumably this is not a "good thing" from the US's perspective.

again, ... bad for who? For Trump and his Silicon Valley sycophants? If that is a yes, then I don't see why this is a bad thing for Europe.

Re: South Korean regulator accuses DeepSeek of sharing user data with ByteDance

#35

Post by criddell »

tokioyoyo wrote: post #3

If they sold it, isn't that like what... literally almost every single company does nowadays unless you pay up?

I don't think so. You can't buy user data from Google or Facebook or Apple or Microsoft and they probably have more of it than anybody else.

Re: South Korean regulator accuses DeepSeek of sharing user data with ByteDance

#36

Post by blackeyeblitzar »

Reminder on various DeepSeek problems:

1. DeepSeek is full of propaganda/censorship (https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/01/the-questions-the-chinese...)

2. They already had a serious security and privacy issue when they left their database wide open and leaked everyone’s chat history (https://www.wiz.io/blog/wiz-research-uncovers-exposed-deepse... )

3. Multiple teams of security researchers found code that links DeepSeek to the Chinese government through China Mobile, who is banned from operating in the US (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/researchers-link-deepseek...)

4. Other countries like South Korea are banning DeepSeek already over privacy concerns (https://mashable.com/article/south-korea-blocks-deepseek)

Trump needs to enforce PAFACA and ban TikTok, but also ban DeepSeek, which has the same exact issues since it is also effectively operated by a foreign adversary and poses various security threats.

Re: South Korean regulator accuses DeepSeek of sharing user data with ByteDance

#37

Post by itishappy »

TheRealPomax wrote: post #27
xiphias2 wrote: post #7

There was data sharing between Twitter, Google and Facebook as well. USA has to make a decision between safety and national security.

Sorry how is a story about South Korea about the US?

Does DeepSeek only share South Korean data?

Re: South Korean regulator accuses DeepSeek of sharing user data with ByteDance

#38

Post by itishappy »

TheRealPomax wrote: post #25
buyucu wrote: post #22

[flagged]

(a) The BBC is not America, (b) South Korea is not America. It helps to at least browse the first paragraph before commenting.

From the 5th paragraph of the article, Americans are complaining:

> Since then, multiple countries have warned that user data may not be properly protected, and in February a US cybersecurity company alleged potential data sharing between DeepSeek and ByteDance.

Re: South Korean regulator accuses DeepSeek of sharing user data with ByteDance

#39

Post by blackeyeblitzar »

tiberius_p wrote: post #4

Lol I'm so glad I'm running it offline with Ollama.

That won’t protect you from its propaganda/censorship. Some versions of DeepSeek’s models have bias built in - as in it’s not just implemented by their service/app. But offline does protect you from privacy/security issues.

Re: South Korean regulator accuses DeepSeek of sharing user data with ByteDance

#40

Post by SecretDreams »

Sohcahtoa82 wrote: post #8

This is my surprised face -_- If you're shocked or even the slightest bit surprised, then I can't imagine how blissful your life is to be so unaware about how much corporations are sharing data with each other. Like, I wholeheartedly expect that if I mention Beyblade toys on Facebook, then the next time I visit Amazon, they'll be suggesting Beyblades even if I've never even searched Amazon for toys, let alone Beyblad…

You could literally talk about beyblade toys on a whatsapp video call and you'll be getting Amazon ads for dem blades the next day.
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