German authorities warn of security and privacy risks in DeepSeek AI
German security authorities and data protection officials warned that the Chinese AI application DeepSeek poses serious privacy and security risks, including collection of keystroke patterns for user profiling and storage of data in China subject to Chinese national security laws.
What happened
German authorities and cybersecurity experts have raised serious security concerns about DeepSeek, a Chinese AI application. Concerns include extensive storage of user data, potential manipulation of the application for criminal purposes, and possible access by Chinese intelligence and surveillance systems to user data.
DeepSeek's privacy policy states that 'keystroke patterns or rhythms' are collected, a method that can be used to identify users. According to a BSI spokeswoman, 'keystroke inputs within the app can potentially be read before they are sent.' The BSI considers this capability problematic, particularly for security-critical areas.
Reported impact
Keystroke patterns collected by DeepSeek can be used with artificial intelligence to create and recognize user profiles. Under Chinese law, all data must be stored in China, and Chinese national security law obligates the population and organizations to cooperate with security authorities.
Index analysis
Saxony-Anhalt Data Protection Authority Christina Rost advised caution when using the platform, recommending users avoid disclosing personal data on platforms lacking transparency. The concern encompasses questions about the legal basis for data processing and the origin of training data.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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