AI tool privacy · DeepSeek
DeepSeek and your company’s data
By David Michaelson, MS Last checked October 23, 2026
The short answer
DeepSeek’s privacy policy says it uses your data to train and improve its models and stores what it collects in the People’s Republic of China, and it describes no business plan with different rules.
Safer setup: Keep customer and company data out of the DeepSeek app and website. If your team wants to try it, use only public, non-sensitive text.
The five answers
Each answer comes from DeepSeek’s own policy or help pages, with the link and the date we read it. Setting names are quoted exactly as DeepSeek writes them.
We could not confirm 1 answer on DeepSeek’s own pages. That answer says so in plain words and links to the page we checked.
| Question | DeepSeek app and website |
|---|---|
| Trains on your data by default? | Yes. DeepSeek’s privacy policy lists training and improving its machine learning models among the ways it uses your data. It also lists a right to opt out of training, but the policy names no setting for it. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: cdn.deepseek.com |
| How long your data is kept | For as long as you have an account, and longer when needed for legal reasons, a legitimate business interest, or a violation of its terms. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: cdn.deepseek.com |
| Who can see it | Not described in the privacy policy we read. Page checked: cdn.deepseek.com, October 23, 2026 |
| Where data is stored | In the People’s Republic of China. DeepSeek says it directly collects, processes, and stores your personal data there. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: cdn.deepseek.com |
| How to delete | Delete your chat history in your settings. If you delete your account, it cannot be reactivated and its content cannot be recovered. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: cdn.deepseek.com |
Safer setup, step by step
- Treat anything typed into DeepSeek as stored in the People’s Republic of China, as its policy states. Source: cdn.deepseek.com for this step
- Manage, copy, or delete your chat history in your DeepSeek settings. Source: cdn.deepseek.com for this step
What to write in your policy
Staff do not put customer or company information into DeepSeek. It is not an approved tool for work.
Want the basics of what stays out of AI tools? The AI Security Guide covers security basics for using AI at work.