DeepSeek API Data Retention Policy 2026 - Does DeepSeek Train on Your Data?

DeepSeek data retention policy

DeepSeek's privacy policy states that inputs are processed and stored in China and used to train and improve its models by default, with an opt-out. No fixed API retention window or zero-data-retention tier is published. Last checked 2026-06-29. Confirm against the linked policy before relying on it.

DeepSeek's API training default

DeepSeek's privacy policy (last updated 2026-02-10) states that it processes personal data "to improve and develop the Services and to train and improve our technology, such as our machine learning models and algorithms." [1] The policy also describes a "right to opt-out of using your Personal Data for training our models or optimizing our technologies." [1]

That single privacy policy governs DeepSeek's first-party services, including its Open Platform API. The Open Platform Terms of Service (effective 2026-04-29) do not separately exempt developer API inputs from training; they defer personal-data handling back to the privacy policy. [2] In practice this means training is on by default for first-party API traffic, with an opt-out described at the policy level rather than a paid-API carve-out. Independent analysis of the first-party API reports that the terms allow training on user data and that there was no clear opt-out mechanism for the developer API as of April 2026. [3] This is the opposite default from vendors like OpenAI and Anthropic, whose commercial APIs exclude customer content from training unless you opt in. [3]

Because the consumer app and the developer platform share one privacy policy, do not assume the paid API is exempt from training. Scope your expectations to "training on by default, opt-out described but not API-specific," and re-check the live policy before sending sensitive content.

Retention

DeepSeek does not publish a fixed retention window for API inputs and outputs. The privacy policy states: "We retain Personal Data for as long as necessary to provide our Services and for the other purposes set out in this Privacy Policy," and that data is destroyed, deleted, or anonymized "when the Personal Data collected is no longer required." [1] No concrete number of days is given for API traffic, which is why this page omits a retention-days figure rather than invent one. Independent reviews describe DeepSeek's API retention as unspecified, in contrast to the 30-day windows OpenAI and Anthropic publish for abuse monitoring. [3]

Zero data retention

DeepSeek does not document a zero-data-retention or enterprise no-retention option for its first-party API. Public analysis of the direct API found no zero-retention option or specialized enterprise tier with different data handling. [3] If your organization requires a contractual zero-retention guarantee, DeepSeek's public policy does not provide one as of this check. Confirm directly with DeepSeek whether your account carries different terms.

Data residency

DeepSeek's privacy policy states plainly: "To provide you with our services, we directly collect, process and store your Personal Data in People's Republic of China." [1] The named data controller is Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd., with its registered address in China. [1] The Open Platform Terms of Service are governed by the laws of mainland China. [2] Independent reviews report that first-party API requests are processed on DeepSeek's infrastructure in Hangzhou, China. [3] This is a neutral, sourced fact, not a judgment; weigh it against your own jurisdiction and compliance requirements.

How Meetily uses DeepSeek

Meetily transcription is always 100% local. Audio never leaves your device. DeepSeek exposes an OpenAI-compatible API at https://api.deepseek.com (POST /chat/completions), and Meetily's BYOK flow accepts an OpenAI-compatible base URL. [4] That means you can select DeepSeek as your summary provider by pointing the base URL at DeepSeek and supplying your own API key. When you do, Meetily sends transcript text (not audio) over TLS to api.deepseek.com for summarization, and the response is returned to Meetily and stored locally on your device.

The retention and training defaults on this page apply to that traffic under your own key, not to Meetily. Because DeepSeek's policy keeps training on by default, publishes no fixed retention window, offers no documented zero retention, and stores data in China, choose DeepSeek for summaries only if those terms fit your use case. If they do not, switch your Meetily summary model to a local provider like Ollama; Meetily's transcription path is already local, so the local-summary route keeps the entire pipeline on your device.

References

"DeepSeek Privacy Policy" (Last Update Feb 10, 2026), DeepSeek (Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd.). https://cdn.deepseek.com/policies/en-US/deepseek-privacy-policy.html (accessed 2026-06-29).
"DeepSeek Open Platform Terms of Service" (effective Apr 29, 2026), DeepSeek. https://cdn.deepseek.com/policies/en-US/deepseek-open-platform-terms-of-service.html (accessed 2026-06-29).
"Is DeepSeek API Safe? China Routing, ToS, Outages Examined" (updated Apr 29, 2026), TokenMix. https://tokenmix.ai/blog/deepseek-api-is-it-safe (accessed 2026-06-29).
"Your First API Call - DeepSeek API Docs," DeepSeek. https://api-docs.deepseek.com/ (accessed 2026-06-29).

Frequently asked questions

Does DeepSeek train its models on my paid API prompts and outputs?

By default, yes. DeepSeek's privacy policy states it processes inputs to train and improve its machine learning models, and the same policy governs first-party API traffic to api.deepseek.com. The policy describes a right to opt out of using your data for training, but unlike OpenAI or Anthropic, DeepSeek does not exclude paid API traffic from training by default. Independent analyses note no clean, documented opt-out path for the developer API as of mid-2026. Treat training as on by default and confirm the current policy before sending sensitive content.

Is DeepSeek's free consumer app treated differently from the paid API for training?

DeepSeek publishes one privacy policy that covers both its consumer app and its first-party platform. That policy describes training and improvement uses for the data it collects, with an opt-out. It does not carve the paid developer API out of training the way some Western vendors do for their commercial API tiers, so do not assume the paid API is exempt. This page scopes its claims to the first-party API path that Meetily would use under your own key.

Where is DeepSeek API data stored, and under whose jurisdiction?

DeepSeek's privacy policy states: 'we directly collect, process and store your Personal Data in People's Republic of China.' The named data controller is Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd., registered in China, and its Open Platform Terms of Service are governed by the laws of mainland China. This is a neutral, sourced fact you should weigh for any regulated or cross-border workload.

How long does DeepSeek retain my API prompts and outputs?

DeepSeek does not publish a fixed retention window for API traffic. Its privacy policy states it retains personal data 'for as long as necessary to provide our Services' and for legal and business purposes. Because no concrete number is published, this page omits a retention-days figure rather than guess. Independent reviews describe DeepSeek's retention as unspecified.

Does DeepSeek offer a zero-data-retention or enterprise option for the API?

No documented zero-data-retention or enterprise no-retention tier exists for DeepSeek's first-party API as of this check. If you need a contractual zero-retention guarantee, DeepSeek's public policy does not provide one. Confirm directly with DeepSeek if your account has different terms.

How does Meetily route to DeepSeek when I pick it as my summary provider?

Meetily transcription is always 100% local. DeepSeek exposes an OpenAI-compatible API at https://api.deepseek.com, and Meetily's BYOK flow accepts an OpenAI-compatible base URL, so you can point your summary provider at DeepSeek using your own API key. Only transcript text (never audio) is sent, over TLS, to api.deepseek.com. The retention and training defaults on this page apply to your traffic under your own key.

What if I want no retention and no training but still want a cloud-quality summary?

DeepSeek's public policy does not offer zero retention, and training is on by default. If those guarantees matter, either review whether your DeepSeek account has different contractual terms, or switch your Meetily summary model to a local provider like Ollama. Meetily's transcription path is already local, so the local-summary route keeps the whole pipeline on your device.