South Korea Accuses DeepSeek of Unauthorized Data Transfer to Chinese Firm.

2 months ago 2

China Spying

PULSE POINTS:

What Happened: South Korea’s data protection authority found that the Chinese AI app DeepSeek transferred personal data to a cloud services platform without user consent.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), DeepSeek, Volcano Engine, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

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📍 Where & When: The issue was identified in South Korea and announced on Thursday, April 24.

💬 Key Quote: “Initially, DeepSeek transferred personal data to companies located in China and the United States without obtaining users’ consent,” stated Nam Seok of the PIPC.

⚠️ Impact: DeepSeek has been suspended from download in South Korea—and a number of other localities—until its data practices are reviewed. The Chinese AI app has been the target of scrutiny over claims made regarding its technical specifications and data security. DeepSeek is only the latest Chinese-made app that has faced allegations of being a data mining tool for the CCP, with the social media app TikTok being the most prominent example.

IN FULL:

A South Korean government agency has uncovered that the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) application DeepSeek was involved in the unauthorized transfer of personal data to a cloud service associated with ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) detailed on Thursday that the data, which included device specifics and user inputs, was being moved to servers hosted by Beijing’s Volcano Engine platform.

The broader implications of this revelation have prompted nations such as South Korea, Italy, and Australia, along with certain U.S. states, to either restrict or ban the app. DeepSeek, which had rapidly gained attention early this year due to its alleged ability to rival Western AI tools at a reduced cost, has assured cooperation with the PIPC and a prospective review of its data protection strategies.

The PIPC initiated a comprehensive investigation in February, compelling DeepSeek to halt new app downloads pending a stringent evaluation of its data collection methods. Speaking on behalf of the PIPC, Nam Seok highlighted the issue with DeepSeek collecting data without consent or transparent privacy disclosures. “Initially, DeepSeek transferred personal data to companies located in China and the United States without obtaining users’ consent, or disclosing this in the privacy policy at the time the service was launched,” Seok said, adding: “In particular, it was confirmed that DeepSeek transferred not only device, network, and app information, but also user inputs in AI prompts to Volcano Engine.”

Responding to Seoul’s findings, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) reaffirmed its commitment to data privacy and denied any involvement in mandating illegal data practices by firms or individuals. The Foreign Ministry, represented by spokesman Guo Jiakun, emphasized China’s supposed adherence to legal data collection standards.

The entity behind Volcano Engine, ByteDance, counts among its holdings the popular social media platform TikTok. Notably, TikTok and ByteDance have been accused of dubious data security practices in the United States, and the social media app faces a potential national ban if its Chinese parent company does not divest itself.

PULSE POINTS:

What Happened: Harvard University faces a U.S. Department of Education probe over $1.1 billion in foreign contributions, including $100 million from China, amid allegations of incomplete disclosures.

👥 Who’s Involved: Harvard University, U.S. Department of Education, Secretary Linda McMahon, Open The Books, and foreign entities, including those linked to China and the Palestinian territories.

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📍 Where & When: Investigation announced in Washington, D.C., on April 18, 2025, following Open The Books’ report released on April 17, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: Secretary Linda McMahon stated, “Harvard has not been fully transparent or complete in its disclosures, which is both unacceptable and unlawful.”

⚠️ Impact: The probe could lead to penalties for Harvard, including loss of federal funding, and raises national security concerns over foreign influence, particularly from China, in U.S. academia.

IN FULL:

Harvard University faces increasing government scrutiny over its funding sources, with allegations emerging that it made “incomplete and inaccurate disclosures” regarding over a billion dollars in foreign contributions. Since 2017, the Ivy League institution has accepted $1.1 billion from foreign entities, with over $100 million coming from China. Additionally, it is believed Harvard took $1.6 million from organizations associated with the Palestinian territories.

The revised financial data comes from an investigation by Open the Books, which released its report on foreign gifts to Harvard on Thursday. On April 18, the U.S. Department of Education announced it was launching a probe into the university’s foreign funding, accusing Harvard of not being forthcoming with accurate data.

“As a recipient of federal funding, Harvard University must be transparent about its relations with foreign sources and governments,” President Donald J. Trump’s Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, said at the start of her department’s investigation. “Unfortunately, our review indicated that Harvard has not been fully transparent or complete in its disclosures, which is both unacceptable and unlawful.”

“This records request is the Trump Administration’s first step to ensure Harvard is not being manipulated by, or doing the bidding of, foreign entities, which include actors who are hostile to the interests of the United States and American students,” Sec. McMahon added.

The report released by Open the Books found that Harvard provides very little detail regarding what projects or programs received the Chinese money, though several million dollars were earmarked for research projects headed by a Chinese-designated lead. Financial arrangements that essentially guarantee the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can designate individuals to serve in key roles raise serious national security concerns, given the numerous examples of Chinese nationals having engaged in corporate espionage and foreign spying in the past.

Harvard is currently locked in a protracted legal battle with the Trump administration over the university’s refusal to limit pro-Hamas and antisemitic protests on its campus. The Ivy League school faces losing potentially billions of dollars in federal funding.

Image by Joseph Williams.

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U.S. military recruitment is surging under the Trump administration and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth—in spite of relentless attacks from the mainstream media and Democrats.

The details: According to data released by the Department of Defense, recruitment is up big in every branch of the military. In February 2025 alone:

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  • Army: +23,586 (115 percent of goal)
  • Navy: +16,201 (105 percent of goal)
  • Air Force: +5,847 (106 percent of goal)
  • Marines: +13,329 (100 percent of goal)
  • Space Force: +299 (100.1 percent of goal)

Hegseth weighs in: Speaking to Fox News, the Defense Secretary said:

  • “These recruiting numbers don’t surprise me… one bit. They’re a reflection of a yearning from the American public, of young people to be proud of their country.”

Zoom out: Hegseth embodies the ‘warrior ethos’ and brings a breath of fresh air to the position as a former Army infantry officer with deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since taking the reins, he’s reshaped the Defense Department away from woke DEI standards and towards “lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards, and readiness.”

  • But if you ask him, he says: “There is no better recruiter in my mind for our military than President Donald Trump.”

Back up: Recruitment officially reached crisis levels under Joe Biden:

  • 🚨 Army missed its recruitment goal in 2022 by 25 percent
  • 🚨 Navy missed its recruitment goal in 2023 by 20 percent
  • 🚨 Air Force missed its recruitment goal in 2023 by 10 percent, the first time in over 20 years.

In spite of attacks: While young Americans flock to serve under this administration, the mainstream media has been relentless in its attempt to scandalize Hegseth—most recently overhyping the report that a journalist was accidentally added to a Signal chat where a successful bombing of Houthi terrorists was discussed.

Trump touts success: “Since November 5th, it’s all happened. Enrollment in the military is at a record. We’re setting records and six months ago we couldn’t get anybody.”

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U.S. military recruitment is surging under the Trump administration and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth—in spite of relentless attacks from the mainstream media and Democrats. show more

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