Is DeepSeek safe? What happens to your data, in plain English
The short answer
DeepSeek is fine for everyday questions that don't include anything private. Don't put work documents, passwords, health details or anything personal into the DeepSeek app or website. DeepSeek's own privacy policy says it collects, processes and stores your data in the People's Republic of China. [1]
What is DeepSeek?
DeepSeek is a free AI chatbot from a Chinese company, Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd. [1] It works much like ChatGPT: it answers questions, writes, and helps with math and coding problems. [2]
What DeepSeek collects
According to its privacy policy, DeepSeek collects: [1]
- Account details, such as your email or phone number and password
- Everything you type, upload or say to it, including chat history and files
- Device details, your IP address and an approximate location based on it
- Logs of which features you use
It also uses chats to train its models. The policy says you can ask it to stop, though that right may only apply in some regions. [1]
The main risks
- Where your data lives. DeepSeek stores data in China, so Chinese law applies to it. [1][2]
- Security problems found by researchers. In early 2025, Wiz reported an exposed DeepSeek database that held chat histories. Around the same time, NowSecure's audit of the iOS app found weak encryption and data sent without proper protection. [2]
- Wrong answers. DeepSeek's policy says not to rely on the factual accuracy of its answers. [1] That's true of every AI chatbot, so double-check anything important.
- Government pushback. In January 2025, Italy's privacy regulator ordered DeepSeek to stop processing Italian users' data, and the app is still unavailable in Italian app stores. [3][4]
How to use DeepSeek safely
- Use it for general questions, brainstorming and practice, not for anything confidential.
- Never paste in work files, client details, passwords or personal documents.
- Delete chat history you don't need in your settings. [1]
- You can ask DeepSeek to stop using your data for training by emailing privacy@deepseek.com. Depending on where you live, it may not have to agree. [1]
- For sensitive work, use a tool your workplace has approved.
DeepSeek vs ChatGPT on privacy
OpenAI and Google let some business customers choose the region where their data is stored. DeepSeek's policy says it stores data in China. [1][2]
Sources
- DeepSeek Privacy Policy (last updated Feb 10, 2026)
- TechTarget, "Does using DeepSeek create security risks?" (Mar 21, 2025)
- Garante per la protezione dei dati personali, January 2025 order
- AppleCensorship App Store monitor (checked Oct 4, 2026)