The Android app of Chinese AI company DeepSeek contains multiple ByteDance data collection components that transmit user data to servers in China, according to a privacy analysis report published this week.
The first of a two-part report by privacy engineering firm Privado identified four ByteDance software development kits (SDKs) in DeepSeek’s Android app, including systems for analytics, traffic monitoring, and performance data collection.
“The main privacy concerns with DeepSeek are data flows to China — both to their own servers and third-party SDKs integrated into the application,” Privado said in its January 29 report.
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This is supported by a network analysis by security researcher Sean O’Brien, who shared his findings on PrivacySafe Social. His analysis shows approximately 30% of the app’s traffic communicates with servers in mainland China, with additional traffic routed through servers in Germany owned by Taobao.
The app uses the same ByteDance/Pangle analytics SDK found in “nearly all mainstream apps,” according to O’Brien’s analysis. His investigation identified at least 14,000 app samples using similar tracking components.
ByteDance, which owns the social media platform TikTok, operates the data collection systems through its subsidiary services. These include components for marketing analytics and usage monitoring, according to the technical documentation.
The findings contrast with public statements made by Perplexity AI, which integrated DeepSeek into its search platform earlier this week. Perplexity’s CEO Aravind Srinivas said on X that “all DeepSeek usage in Perplexity is through models hosted in data centers in the USA and Europe. DeepSeek is *open-source*. None of your data goes to China.”
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