As more Western countries ban the use of the Chinese artificial intelligence application DeepSeek on government devices, concerns are growing that data may be siphoned off by Chinese authorities. South Korea and Australia have taken the lead in this regard, with the United States expected to introduce a bill in Congress on Thursday.
The Netherlands have explicitly banned the use of DeepSeek on government devices, with the country’s state secretary for digitalization, Zsolt Szabó, stating that the app is a security risk due to China’s “offensive cyber program” against the Netherlands. Szabó, a politician from the Party for Freedom, emphasized the need for caution.
South Korea has also restricted access to the app on government devices, including the ministries of foreign affairs, interior, defense and trade, as well as other government agencies, following a call from the Korean government and intelligence services. The concern is that personal data could be shared with Chinese authorities, posing a security risk.
Taiwan’s prime minister, Cho Jung-tai, has banned the use of DeepSeek for all government employees, citing the app as a security risk. Australia has also banned the app from all government devices, with the country’s interior ministry deeming it an “unacceptable risk” to national security.
Italy was the first EU country to block the app, doing so in late January. However, Beijing has rejected the concerns of Western countries, with the country’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, stating that the Chinese government prioritizes data security and protection in line with the law and has never and will never demand that companies or individuals collect or store data in a way that violates the law.