DeepSeek sending your private chats to China? Everything you should know before using this ChatGPT-rival

DeepSeek

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot, is gaining prominence globally at a time when an app as influential as TikTok, another Chinese app, is on the verge of extinction. TikTok was banned in India long ago in 2020 and is set to be uprooted in the US soon. The primary reason behind the ban is the app’s data sharing mandate.

Although TikTok officials have consistently denied sharing user data with Chinese authorities, China’s Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) mandates apps to provide data to the government when requested. The government can also access the data provided by the company citing national security reasons. And TikTok in no way can go against the laws of its own country. However, DeepSeek appears to be even worse than TikTok in terms of data sharing—it shares users' personal chats and makes no bones about it.

Although data on DeepSeek’s user base in India remains unclear, its growth in the US has been exponential. In fact, just a week after its release, DeepSeek became the most downloaded app on the App Store, even surpassing ChatGPT. What draws people to this Chinese tool is its advanced AI capabilities—it performs complex tasks in no time. That is, of course, unless you bring up topics like Tiananmen Square or the Indo-Sino war. Notably, it is completely free. But you realise the price you pay when you delve into its FAQ page.

Under the “what information we collect?” section, DeepSeek says that it collects the profile information, the user input- which means your chats with the AI chatbot, primarily the questions you ask and payment information among the dozen other things it collects. “The personal information we collect from you may be stored on a server located outside of the country where you live,” the FAQ says. “We store the information we collect in secure servers located in the People's Republic of China.”

DeepSeek further reveals that certain information is automatically collected from users. “We automatically collect certain information from you when you use the Services, including internet or other network activity information such as your IP address, unique device identifiers, and cookies,” it says.

To put things into context–when your IP address, device ID, and cookies are collected, the app can track your online activity, recognize your devices across different platforms, and show you personalized ads.The app also collects technical data, such as your device model, operating system, and how you type, which adds another layer of tracking. It also extracts usage information, like the features you use and how you interact with the service. Cookies and web beacons, which are small tracking tools, help monitor your behavior across different websites.

@deepseek_ai is a Trojan Horse. TikTok is just a toy by comparison. https://t.co/3cewxBNkGR

Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) January 27, 2025

Your payment information is also collected by the app– your financial details are collected, which could be used for more targeted ads. If the app gets information from other sources, like third parties, it gathers even more personal data.

The data you share in the DeepSeek chatbot app is sent to servers in China for processing. However, since DeepSeek’s code is open-source, developers can download it, host it on their own servers, or make changes to it. In that case, any data shared through the modified version wouldn’t be sent to China.

TikTok tracks things like user behavior, device info, and location, but DeepSeek goes further by collecting and sharing personal chats without hiding it. While TikTok mainly gathers data on how you use the app and interact with content, DeepSeek’s focus on monitoring and sharing your conversations is much more invasive.