On government devices

US MPs call for ban on AI app DeepSeek

DeepSeek is said to pose a "worrying threat" because of its links to the Chinese government.(Bild: APA/AFP/Nicolas TUCAT)

Following Australia, there are also efforts in the USA to ban the use of the Chinese AI app Deepseek on government employees' devices. Democratic MP Josh Gottheimer and his Republican colleague Darin LaHood jointly tabled a motion to this effect on Thursday. 

Deepseek poses a "worrying threat" due to the "direct links" between the company behind it and the Chinese government, they said.

"The Chinese Communist Party has made it abundantly clear that it will use every tool at its disposal to undermine our national security, spread damaging disinformation, and collect data on Americans," Gottheimer explained. LaHood described Deepseek as a "CCP-affiliated company".

The US cybersecurity company Feroot Security had previously stated that DeepSeek's AI model contained hidden code to transmit user data to China Mobile, a state-owned telecommunications company.

Australia already banned DeepSeek on government devices
The Australian authorities had already banned the use of DeepSeek on government smartphones and computers this week. Australia's Minister of Home Affairs, Stephanie Foster, spoke of an "unacceptable security risk".

South Korean ministries and security authorities also blocked access to DeepSeek from their devices after the company failed to respond to a request from the data supervisory authority regarding the handling of user data. France and Italy have also expressed data protection concerns about DeepSeek.

At the end of January, the AI assistant Deepseek quickly became the most downloaded free application in Apple's US App Store. According to experts, the performance of version R1 of the program is on a par with the AI software of US competitors. Because the development of the AI application cost only a fraction of what US companies spent, according to DeepSeek, the share prices of US tech companies fell sharply.