DeepSeek, a prominent Chinese Artificial Intelligence company known for its advanced language models faces several security breaches and global concerns over its data protection and privacy. This has led to many countries opening an investigation on the company or implementing restrictions on its operation, following Italy’s ban.
The Netherlands’ privacy watchdog, the AP, started an investigation into the Chinese AI firm’s data collection practices. AP’s Chairman, Aleid Wolfsen, expressed serious concerns about DeepSeek’s privacy policies and how they handle personal information. The agency is investigating how personal data is being transferred to China through apps.
In a related development, Australia has decided to ban DeepSeek from all federal government devices due to unspecified national security risks. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke clarified that the decision was made due to the risk DeepSeek poses to the government and its assets, and not because the app originates from China.
In a similar move, Taiwan has also banned government agencies from using DeepSeek’s AI platform due to security risks. According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs, DeepSeek’s operation involves cross-border data transmission and poses significant information security concerns.
Building on these concerns, South Korea has temporarily suspended new downloads of DeepSeek’s AI chatbot until the company updates its mobile apps to comply with data protection regulations. The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) stated that DeepSeek has appointed a local representative and acknowledged failing to consider domestic privacy laws when launching the service. The suspension will continue until the necessary improvements are made to comply with the PIPC. In recent weeks, DeepSeek’s Android and iOS apps have also been found to contain security weaknesses, allowing certain data to be sent to its servers in unencrypted format.
These widespread actions highlight the global concern about AI technology’s security implications and the proactive measures governments are taking to tackle the problem. Companies are being pressured to prioritize security measures and transparency in their operations. Users need to be cautious by not sharing sensitive information when using DeepSeek’s software.
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