DeepSeek Raises Concerns in China, Measures Taken by Multiple Countries

Chinese startup company DeepSeek's AI has gone viral, but it has raised cybersecurity concerns. Countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan have expressed concerns about DeepSeek, with several countries already taking measures in response.

U.S. Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick criticized DeepSeek for stealing American technology, claiming that DeepSeek uses American AI models and NVIDIA chips for development. He pledged to stop this behavior and impose tariffs to curb Chinese technological advancement.

John Moolenaar, the Republican chairman of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition with China, and Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi urged the Trump administration to consider tightening export restrictions on NVIDIA AI chips, stating that DeepSeek relies on these chips.

CNBC reported that the U.S. Navy, citing potential security and ethical issues, has requested personnel to avoid using DeepSeek models in any form.

UK Technology Minister Peter Kyle told political news outlet Politico that they are evaluating DeepSeek's chatbot to ensure its safety.

The French data regulatory body, the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL), stated they would inquire with DeepSeek to understand the operational methods of its AI chatbot and related data protection risks.

German media reported that the data protection department plans to investigate DeepSeek, with a data protection commissioner commenting that DeepSeek's measures are severely lacking from a data protection regulatory perspective.

Italy's data protection authority (GARANTE) announced an urgent order to restrict the access of Chinese DeepSeek's AI platform to Italian users' data and has sent letters to DeepSeek's offices in Hangzhou and Beijing, requesting explanations on data acquisition and usage within 20 days to avoid placing millions of Italians' personal data at high risk.

Following the Italian authorities’ request for DeepSeek to explain its data utilization methods, DeepSeek has been removed from Apple's and Google's app stores in Italy.

The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) indicated they would also ask DeepSeek for information on how it processes Irish user data.

Kyodo News reported that after the rise of DeepSeek's chatbot, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba mentioned in the House of Representatives Budget Committee his intent to formulate a basic plan regarding the use of generative AI.

Takeshi Ono, former Japanese Defense Minister and current head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's National Security Investigation Committee, also expressed concerns about the AI services from the emerging Chinese company DeepSeek.

Amid external questions about how DeepSeek handles user data, South Korea's data regulatory agency stated they would inquire with DeepSeek's officials on this matter.

An official from the South Korean Personal Information Protection Commission told AFP: “We plan to submit a written request as early as Friday (January 31) to obtain information on how DeepSeek handles personal data.”

Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers urged citizens to be cautious when using DeepSeek's AI models; Australian Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic also mentioned that due to privacy concerns, one should maintain a “very cautious” attitude when using DeepSeek.

DeepSeek's AI model has raised cybersecurity concerns, prompting the Indian government to state they will require DeepSeek to store collected data on servers located in India. Moreover, India plans to launch a domestic AI model in the coming months.

Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs pointed out that due to national cybersecurity considerations, it especially warns public agencies and critical infrastructure to limit the use of DeepSeek AI products to prevent user-related data or information from being transmitted by products with cybersecurity concerns.