Chinese startup DeepSeek has faced regulatory backlash in multiple countries, with its AI models being banned due to concerns over ethics, privacy, and security.

Italy

Italy was among the first to restrict DeepSeek following an investigation by the Data Protection Authority.

Regulators demanded details on how and where the company stores user data. In response, DeepSeek claimed its app does not fall under EU jurisdiction.

Authorities ordered Apple and Google to remove the application from their app stores in the country.

Taiwan

Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs declared DeepSeek a “threat to national information security,” banning its AI models from government use.

Officials warned that public sector employees and critical infrastructure personnel face risks of “cross-border data transmission and leaks.” The ban applies to government agencies, schools, and state-owned enterprises.

U.S. Congress

Congressional offices received notifications prohibiting the use of DeepSeek’s AI technology.

“Malicious actors are already leveraging DeepSeek to spread malware and compromise devices. To mitigate risks, the House of Representatives has implemented security measures restricting DeepSeek’s operations […],” the document states.

Staff members are barred from installing DeepSeek apps on government-issued smartphones, computers, and tablets.

Texas

The state of Texas banned DeepSeek and other Chinese software from all government-issued devices.

“Texas will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate our state’s critical infrastructure through AI-powered data collection and social media applications. We will continue to protect our state from hostile foreign actors,” the statement reads.

U.S. Navy

The U.S. Navy has instructed personnel to stop using DeepSeek technology due to security and ethical concerns.

The ban applies to both official and personal use.

Pentagon

The Pentagon restricted access to DeepSeek but allows limited use through the approved platform Ask Sage, which operates independently without direct interaction with Chinese servers.

NASA

Following suit, NASA has also prohibited the use of DeepSeek tools. The agency cited concerns over the company’s servers being located outside the U.S., posing national security risks.

Australia

DeepSeek has been banned on all government devices in Australia, with officials instructed to remove the chatbot due to an “unacceptable risk to the country.”

Hundreds of corporations worldwide have also blocked DeepSeek, fearing potential data leaks to the Chinese government.

In January, Wiz Research discovered an exposed DeepSeek database containing chat histories, private keys, backend details, and other sensitive information.