South Korean ministries and police block access to DeepSeek

South Korean ministries and police said Thursday they were blocking access to DeepSeek on work computers after the Chinese artificial intelligence startup did not respond to a data watchdog request about how it manages user information. DeepSeek launched its R1 chatbot last month, claiming it matches the capacity of AI pacesetters in the United States at a fraction of the investment, upending the global industry. South Korea, along with countries such as France and Italy, have asked questions about DeepSeek's data practices, submitting a written request for information about how the company handles user information.