DeepSeek has been making headlines for its low-cost artificial intelligence platform. Previously, the DeepSeek AI has become the top free application on the App Store and even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has praised the model. But what if we tell you that the platform collects your data and it is not safe to use?
The company has clearly stated that it stores the information located in the People’s Republic of China. For the unversed, the Chinese government asks the companies to share data with them as a part of the law. It clearly means that all the data will be shared with the Chinese authorities, making it unsafe. For the unversed, plenty of applications including TikTok, PUBG have faced scrutiny over possible data sharing with the Chinese authorities and were banned.
According to the DeepSeek AI policy, if you use the platform, it will collect your text or audio input, prompt, uploaded files, feedback, chat history, or other content that has been provided to the model. “When you use our Services, we may collect your text or audio input, prompt, uploaded files, feedback, chat history, or other content that you provide to our model and Services,” the company policy stated.
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Not only that, the company also mentioned that it will be sharing the data collected with its potential advertising or analytics partners to get a better idea of the ‘effectiveness’ of the platform, raising red flags. “We may share information collected through your use of the Service with our advertising or analytics partners. These partners help us promote the Service through advertising displayed on other platforms, some of which, in some jurisdictions, may be based on your activity across other sites and services. These partners may also help us and our partners measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns,” the company added.
The platform has acknowledged the need to collect personal and sensitive data and track user activity. This raises serious questions about privacy and security. The potential for misuse is exacerbated by Chinese laws requiring companies to share such data, which may expose users to risks that go beyond the intended enhancement of user experience. These practices pose serious national security risks because the data could be used for purposes that are not in the best interests of the users.
If you’ve already signed up and are using the DeepSeek AI, we recommend that you think twice before sharing any information with the platform.