Artificial Intelligence as a Threat to Data Privacy: A Legal and Comparative Study in East Asia

This paper examines the e-commerce sector through a comparative analysis of legal frameworks in China, Japan, and South Korea, exploring how different regions regulate artificial intelligence and protect data privacy. It highlights how AI technologies pose risks through large-scale data collection, processing, and inference, often beyond users' awareness or consent. The study analyzes the "black-box" nature of AI systems, which reduces transparency and makes it difficult for users and regulators to understand how personal data is used. Through real-world data breach cases, the research identifies key risks such as data misuse, security vulnerabilities, and declining user trust. The findings suggest that, although legal frameworks exist, they are not fully effective due to limited transparency and enforcement challenges. The paper concludes that stronger regulation, improved transparency, and greater user awareness are essential for enhancing data protection, with implications extending beyond East Asia to global AI governance.