DeepSeek AI faces scrutiny over data privacy and censorship concerns
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot that achieved rapid popularity globally, reportedly faces scrutiny over potential data privacy risks and censorship of politically sensitive topics related to China. Australian and U.S. officials have raised concerns about data collection practices and the system's refusal to answer questions critical of the Chinese government.
What happened
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot, faced global scrutiny over privacy and censorship concerns after achieving high download numbers in the U.S. and U.K. app stores following its launch in January 2025.
Australia's Science Minister Ed Husic raised concerns that DeepSeek poses privacy risks, noting parallels with previous Chinese technology companies like Huawei and TikTok that have faced accusations of data theft and sharing with the government.
Tests revealed DeepSeek's moderation limitations on politically sensitive questions about China, including refusing to discuss the Tiananmen Square incident and providing evasive answers about COVID-19's origins without mentioning China or Wuhan.
Reported impact
The emergence of DeepSeek intensified competition between China and Western countries, particularly the United States, in AI development.
Australia expressed concern that stolen data could be used for espionage purposes.
Index analysis
The chatbot demonstrated biased responses to questions sensitive to the Chinese government, raising questions about whether the AI was trained to avoid criticizing Chinese interests.
When asked about Tiananmen Square, DeepSeek declined to answer, stating 'this is beyond my capabilities'; in contrast, ChatGPT provided factual information about the 1989 incident.
Governance controls
The U.S. Navy reportedly banned DeepSeek.
No formal governance controls or safeguards by DeepSeek were mentioned in the available sources.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.