Italy blocks DeepSeek over data protection concerns; Western firms restrict access
Italy's data protection authority ordered an urgent ban on DeepSeek's operations following concerns about processing of Italian users' personal data. Hundreds of Western companies and government agencies have also restricted employee access to the Chinese AI chatbot, citing potential data leaks to the Chinese government and weak privacy protections.
What happened
The Italian data protection authority Garante ordered an urgent restriction on processing of personal data of Italian users by Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence and Beijing DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence as of 28 January 2025.
The companies claimed they do not operate in Italy and are not bound by GDPR requirements. In response, Garante announced a ban on DeepSeek operations in Italy.
Hundreds of Western companies and government agencies have restricted employee access to DeepSeek citing concerns about potential data leaks to the Chinese government and weak privacy protections. Armis Inc. reported approximately 70% of its clients requested blocks, and Netskope Inc. reported 52% of its clients completely blocked access to the platform.
Reported impact
The companies' terms of service state they collect and store data on servers in China, with disputes governed by Chinese government law.
Cybersecurity companies cited concerns about potential data leakage and inadequate privacy guarantees as the basis for business and government access restrictions.
Index analysis
Garante examined potential risks to personal data of millions of Italian users and requested specific information about data categories collected, sources, legal basis for processing, and server location within 20 days.
Governance controls
Garante was the first GDPR supervisory authority to request information about the Chinese AI software's operations and took immediate action following the companies' claim that they do not operate in Italy.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.