rise of deep seekis a Chinese artificial intelligence platform that entered the global market with advanced and efficient language models. Wave of bans in the US and other countries.
he Concerns that the application could make it easier for the Chinese government to access sensitive data Since its launch in January 2025, many US states and federal agencies have placed restrictions on its use on government networks.
As reported BGRsecurity and privacy concerns have triggered these measures, which may be extended in the coming months.
The U.S. Congressional Select Committee on the Communist Party of China released a report in April 2025, warning that “this application diverts data to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), creates security vulnerabilities for users, uses a model of covert censorship and information manipulation in accordance with Chinese law,” and further warned that it is “built with stolen U.S. technology.”
Following these conclusions, At least 17 states have banned the use of DeepSeek on government computer networks.. These include Texas, New York, Virginia, Tennessee, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, North Carolina, Nebraska, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Kansas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Nevada.
Until now, There are no laws prohibiting citizens or private companies from using DeepSeek on their systems.. However, several federal and military agencies have adopted similar restrictions to prevent government information from falling into the hands of Chinese authorities.
On top of that, BGR noted that privacy concerns are not limited to the United States, with countries in Europe and Asia also hardening their attitudes toward the platform.
The data protection debate surrounding DeepSeek dates back to Chinese regulations that require companies to provide data to the government and military. Full access to user data if requested. The company itself has acknowledged that personal information, such as chatbot queries and uploaded files, is sent to servers located in China.
This practice has led US authorities to restrict employee access to the platform to avoid leaking sensitive data.
Texas became the first state to ban deep seeking following the governor’s comments. Greg Abbott In January 2025, order state agencies to block webpages related to the People’s Republic of China. Other states, including Virginia, New York and Iowa, are following the same path, banning the platform from government networks.
Some states, including Tennessee and Alabama, have extended bans to: Manus AIanother Alibaba tool, while South Dakota, Arkansas and Georgia have blacklisted Red Note and Lemon 8, social networks owned by TikTok’s parent company ByteDance. The Pennsylvania Department of Treasury also removed DeepSeek from its computer systems.
Veto power extended to federal agencies. In January 2025, the Defense Information Systems Agency blocked access to chatbots within the Department of Defense after their use was detected on Pentagon devices.
The Navy prohibits its service members from using DeepSeek “under any circumstances” for safety and ethical reasons. That same month, NASA’s head of artificial intelligence informed employees that the agency would veto Chinese platforms.
According to reports, both the House and Senate have restricted the use of the program on official equipment, and the Department of Commerce joined the measure in March 2025. BGR.
US Congress maintains pressure on Deep Seek. In February 2025, several members of the House of Representatives proposed the following: Law Law prohibiting DeepSeek on government equipmentseeks to prevent federal employees from using chatbots on official devices.
Other efforts, such as the Senate’s Separating America’s Artificial Intelligence Capabilities from China Act, seek to ban investment, imports and exports of artificial intelligence technology from China, while the House’s China Technology Transfer Control Act aims to put trade negotiations on AI under presidential control. None of these proposals have been approved to date.
Concerns about DeepSeek extend beyond U.S. borders. In February, South Korea The application has been removed from the digital store for security reasons. The Czech Republic, Taiwan, and Australia have blocked chatbots on all government devices.
ItalyFor its part, it banned the platform nationwide due to privacy concerns. During the summer Germany has asked Google and Apple to remove the app from their stores. Other European countries, e.g. Ireland, Netherlands, France, Croatia, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Portugal, Greecehas considered regulatory action against DeepSeek.
However, international reactions have been uneven. in Africa and latin americathis platform has achieved remarkable success, promoting the regional development of artificial intelligence and strengthening China’s economic and political influence in these fields.
The DeepSeek incident illustrates how the lines between personal privacy and foreign policy are blurring in today’s technological environment, forcing governments to balance protecting individual rights with defending national security.
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