South Korea has banned new downloads of China’s DeepSeek artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. The decision was announced by the country’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC). The government agency said the ban will remain until DeepSeek makes changes to comply with South Korea’s data protection laws, BBC reported.

Meanwhile, DeepSeek AI has fuelled debate with its 2025 projections for XRP and Bitcoin. Using machine learning, sentiment analysis, and economic data, it aims to forecast digital asset trends.

Governments Restrict DeepSeek Over Privacy Risks

DeepSeek gained popularity in South Korea after making global headlines. It quickly became one of the top-ranked apps, attracting over a million weekly users. However, its rapid rise also drew scrutiny from governments worldwide. Several countries have imposed restrictions over concerns about privacy and national security.

The PIPC said that as of Saturday evening, the DeepSeek app is no longer available on Apple’s App Store and Google Play in South Korea. The move follows a ban by multiple government agencies preventing employees from downloading the chatbot on work devices.

DeepSeek AI Forecasts Optimistic Bitcoin, XRP Predictions

DeepSeek AI’s predictions for XRP suggest it could trade between $3.50 and $5.00 by the end of 2025, contingent on a favorable legal outcome for Ripple and increased adoption of its On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) platform, as reported by Finance Magnates.

Bitcoin is projected to range from $100,000 to $150,000, with a bullish scenario reaching $350,000 and a peak of $500,000 in a black swan event. While some analysts believe these forecasts may be overly optimistic, they consider market conditions, including Bitcoin’s rebound and regulatory concerns. Despite challenges, DeepSeek AI maintains a positive long-term outlook for both cryptocurrencies.

DeepSeek Disrupts Tech Industry, Sparks Warnings

Acting President Choi Sang-mok described DeepSeek’s emergence as a “shock” with potential consequences beyond the AI industry. Despite the ban on new downloads, existing users can continue using the app. DeepSeek remains accessible via its website.

DeepSeek’s release last month disrupted the global technology industry. Its success also raised concerns about AI leadership in the US and other major markets.

US Lawmakers Propose DeepSeek Federal Ban

Besides South Korea, Taiwan and Australia have also banned the chatbot on government devices. Italy’s data protection authority, which briefly banned ChatGPT in 2023, has taken similar action. It has asked DeepSeek to revise its privacy policies before reinstating the app on stores.

In the US, lawmakers have proposed a bill to ban DeepSeek from federal devices due to surveillance risks. Several states, including Texas, Virginia, and New York, have already implemented similar restrictions.

DeepSeek’s large language model (LLM) reportedly matches the reasoning capabilities of US models like OpenAI’s GPT-4. However, it operates at a significantly lower cost. This has raised concerns about the billions of dollars being spent on AI infrastructure in the US and other markets.

Source: Finance Magnates