Heightened Oversight of Chinese AI Startup DeepSeek by Governments and Regulators
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, which announced in January its development of an AI model to rival ChatGPT at a significantly lower cost, is facing scrutiny from various countries regarding its security policies and privacy practices.
According to its privacy policy, DeepSeek retains a substantial amount of personal data, including user requests and uploaded files, stored on servers located in China.
Here’s a summary of actions taken by different countries concerning DeepSeek:
AUSTRALIA
In early February, Australia prohibited the use of DeepSeek on all government devices due to concerns about potential security risks.
CZECH REPUBLIC
The Czech government banned the use of DeepSeek’s services in public administration in July, citing data security concerns.
FRANCE
In January 2025, France’s privacy watchdog announced plans to question DeepSeek to better understand how its AI system operates and to assess any potential privacy risks for users.
GERMANY
Germany has requested that Apple and Google remove DeepSeek from their app stores, as stated by a data protection authority commissioner in June, due to worries over data safety.
INDIA
At the beginning of February, India’s finance ministry advised its employees to refrain from using AI tools, including ChatGPT and DeepSeek, for official purposes, citing risks to the confidentiality of government documents.
ITALY
Italy’s antitrust authority, AGCM, concluded an investigation into DeepSeek for allegedly failing to inform users about the possibility of generating false information. The investigation was closed after the company agreed to binding commitments. In January 2025, the app was blocked due to insufficient information regarding its handling of personal data.
NETHERLANDS
At the end of January, the Netherlands’ privacy watchdog announced an investigation into DeepSeek’s data collection practices and urged Dutch users to exercise caution. The government also banned civil servants from using the app, citing policies regarding nations with offensive cyber programs.
RUSSIA
In early February, President Vladimir Putin instructed Sberbank to collaborate with Chinese researchers on joint AI projects, as reported by a top executive at Russia’s largest bank.
SOUTH KOREA
South Korea’s data protection authority suspended new downloads of the DeepSeek app in mid-February after the startup acknowledged failing to comply with certain data protection regulations. Earlier in February, the industry minister temporarily restricted employee access to DeepSeek due to security concerns. The service was reinstated at the end of April.
TAIWAN
In February, Taiwan banned government departments from using DeepSeek’s services, citing security risks and concerns about potential censorship and data being sent to China.
UNITED STATES
The Trump administration is considering penalties that could prevent DeepSeek from acquiring U.S. technology and is debating restricting American access to its services, as reported by the New York Times in April. A group of nine U.S. lawmakers sent a letter in December urging the Pentagon to add DeepSeek to a list of entities allegedly aiding the Chinese military. Additionally, seven Republican senators requested the Commerce Department evaluate potential data security vulnerabilities posed by Chinese open-source AI models like DeepSeek in August.
(Compiled by Mateusz Rabiega, Paolo Laudani, and Tristan Veyet in Gdansk; editing by Matt Scuffham)
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Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, which announced in January its development of an AI model to rival ChatGPT at a significantly lower cost, is facing scrutiny from various countries regarding its security policies and privacy practices.
According to its privacy policy, DeepSeek retains a substantial amount of personal data, including user requests and uploaded files, stored on servers located in China.
Here’s a summary of actions taken by different countries concerning DeepSeek:
AUSTRALIA
In early February, Australia prohibited the use of DeepSeek on all government devices due to concerns about potential security risks.
CZECH REPUBLIC
The Czech government banned the use of DeepSeek’s services in public administration in July, citing data security concerns.
FRANCE
In January 2025, France’s privacy watchdog announced plans to question DeepSeek to better understand how its AI system operates and to assess any potential privacy risks for users.
GERMANY
Germany has requested that Apple and Google remove DeepSeek from their app stores, as stated by a data protection authority commissioner in June, due to worries over data safety.
INDIA
At the beginning of February, India’s finance ministry advised its employees to refrain from using AI tools, including ChatGPT and DeepSeek, for official purposes, citing risks to the confidentiality of government documents.
ITALY
Italy’s antitrust authority, AGCM, concluded an investigation into DeepSeek for allegedly failing to inform users about the possibility of generating false information. The investigation was closed after the company agreed to binding commitments. In January 2025, the app was blocked due to insufficient information regarding its handling of personal data.
NETHERLANDS
At the end of January, the Netherlands’ privacy watchdog announced an investigation into DeepSeek’s data collection practices and urged Dutch users to exercise caution. The government also banned civil servants from using the app, citing policies regarding nations with offensive cyber programs.
RUSSIA
In early February, President Vladimir Putin instructed Sberbank to collaborate with Chinese researchers on joint AI projects, as reported by a top executive at Russia’s largest bank.
SOUTH KOREA
South Korea’s data protection authority suspended new downloads of the DeepSeek app in mid-February after the startup acknowledged failing to comply with certain data protection regulations. Earlier in February, the industry minister temporarily restricted employee access to DeepSeek due to security concerns. The service was reinstated at the end of April.
TAIWAN
In February, Taiwan banned government departments from using DeepSeek’s services, citing security risks and concerns about potential censorship and data being sent to China.
UNITED STATES
The Trump administration is considering penalties that could prevent DeepSeek from acquiring U.S. technology and is debating restricting American access to its services, as reported by the New York Times in April. A group of nine U.S. lawmakers sent a letter in December urging the Pentagon to add DeepSeek to a list of entities allegedly aiding the Chinese military. Additionally, seven Republican senators requested the Commerce Department evaluate potential data security vulnerabilities posed by Chinese open-source AI models like DeepSeek in August.
(Compiled by Mateusz Rabiega, Paolo Laudani, and Tristan Veyet in Gdansk; editing by Matt Scuffham)
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