Authorities around the world are on alert for DeepSeek, the latest hot topic in the AI segment. The company, born in 2023, had a boom in popularity this year after the launch of its high-performance and low-cost models. However, concerns about data privacy and security were not long in coming. In fact, some countries have already restricted—fully or partially—access to DeepSeek.
DeepSeek’s growing popularity and the risks discovered are causing growing concern
AI experts and prominent names in the tech industry have been warning about the potential dangers of using DeepSeek. The AI platform has been found to be prone to generating harmful content through jailbreaking. The chatbot also gave biased outputs when asked about sensitive topics for China, which demonstrates the company’s potential ability to manipulate results. Cybersecurity companies recently confirmed that many of their clients requested to block the chatbot in their systems.
DeepSeek has its servers in China, which is another major concern for US authorities. Chinese laws allow the government to request data from local companies whose servers are set up in the country. This could lead to potential spying situations, something that is of particular concern to the United States. DeepSeek is available both in a web version and in apps for Android and iOS. In fact, last weekend it became the most downloaded free app in Apple’s App Store, surpassing ChatGPT.
The countries that have (fully or partially) restricted DeepSeek AI
Amid the DeepSeek boom, some countries have already taken action. Taiwan banned the use of the AI chatbot on government devices last week. The platform “endangers national information security,” said Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs Shùwèi Fāzhǎn. “Its operation involves cross-border transmission and information leakage and other information security concerns,” she added.
The United States has not carried out a general ban of DeepSeek in all government institutions. However, Texas took the initiative and implemented the ban on government-issued devices. “Texas will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate our state’s critical infrastructure through data-harvesting AI and social media apps,” Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott said in late January. CNBC also reported blocks at some institutions, such as the Navy and NASA.
The country that has come down hardest on DeepSeek has been Italy, whose government issued a complete ban (via Euro News). The initiative was prompted by the country’s data protection authority following an alleged refusal by DeepSeek to cooperate in an information request. “Contrary to what was found by the authority, the companies have declared that they do not operate in Italy and that European legislation does not apply to them,” the Italian regulator claimed. Plus, the body has opened an investigation into the AI firm.
Other countries analyzing the situation
Other countries are launching investigations into DeepSeek before making relevant decisions. The list includes Belgium, Ireland, France, South Korea, and the UK.
