The Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, which has recently gained widespread popularity with its advanced language models, explicitly states in its privacy policy that all user data is stored on servers located in mainland China.
According to the company's English-language privacy policy, "We store the information we collect in secure servers located in the People's Republic of China." This means all conversations, queries, and AI-generated responses are transmitted to and stored in China.
The data collection spans three main categories:
- User-provided information including chat histories, text inputs, uploaded files, and account details
- Automatically collected data like device information, IP addresses, keystroke patterns, and usage analytics
- Information gathered from third parties through advertising networks and account linking
Technical analysis reveals the platform sends data to Chinese tech giant Baidu and Chinese infrastructure firm Volces. While users can delete their chat histories, privacy experts advise against sharing any sensitive or personal information through the service.
The company's privacy policy indicates collected data may be used for model training and development. It also includes provisions for sharing information with law enforcement and public authorities when required by Chinese regulations.
This data storage policy contrasts with TikTok's approach, where the social media platform moved to US-based servers to address security concerns. Privacy advocates note that DeepSeek's active engagement with users could potentially expose more personal data than passive social media use.
As DeepSeek rapidly gains users worldwide, its data practices raise questions about privacy implications and data security, particularly given China's laws requiring companies to cooperate with national intelligence efforts.