The Chinese AI chatbot, DeepSeek, which initially garnered significant attention, has now found itself at the center of a crackdown in several countries, including India, the US, Australia, and most recently, South Korea. Governments are increasingly concerned about the chatbot's security, particularly regarding how it handles data on government devices.
Australia's cybersecurity envoy, Andrew Charlton, expressed the country's stance clearly, saying, "We don't want to expose government systems to these applications." India has also prohibited the use of AI tools like DeepSeek and ChatGPT on government devices, warning that these tools could compromise the confidentiality of government data and documents.
South Korea's defense ministry has blocked DeepSeek from its military computers after the personal information protection commission (PIPC) raised concerns over how the chatbot manages user data. The block specifically affects military systems with internet access.
India's central government has banned the use of DeepSeek and other AI tools like ChatGPT on government computers. According to an official memo, these tools present a risk to the confidentiality of government data and documents.
Australia has implemented a complete ban on DeepSeek across all government devices, acting on the advice of security agencies. Cybersecurity envoy Andrew Charlton stressed that this was not a symbolic move, saying, "After considering threat and risk analysis, I have determined that the use of DeepSeek products, applications, and web services poses an unacceptable level of security risk to the Australian Government."
The US Navy has restricted DeepSeek from being used for any work-related tasks, and the state of Texas was the first to prohibit the app entirely. Texas officials stated, "Texas will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate our state's critical infrastructure through data-harvesting AI and social media apps."
Taiwan has also joined the bandwagon and has banned DeepSeek for government employees and government official usage, citing that it poses risks and that it could expose sensitive data to Beijing. The Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) has classified DeepSeek as a Chinese ICT product and issued a warning about potential data leaks. The ban extends across government agencies, public schools, and state-run enterprises.
Italy was one of the first countries to initiate a ban against DeepSeek, citing concerns over data breaches affecting millions of Italians. The country's data protection authority demanded clarification from DeepSeek's developers about the personal data it collects, where it's stored, and the legal grounds for processing, particularly when stored on Chinese servers.
China has condemned the bans, and has asserted that these moves are just a part of a political stunt. In a statement, the Chinese government said, "The Chinese government... has never and will never require enterprises or individuals to illegally collect or store data."
With the ever-growing AI industry, there have been many concerns surrounding the data practices that such platforms are using. With increased concerns regarding the data usage policies of DeepSeek, several countries have taken steps to protect their personal and sensitive information from possible foreign surveillance. This marks a new chapter in the ongoing tussle between data security and foreign technology in government systems.