Netherlands, Australia, South Korea restrict DeepSeek access on government systems
Governments in the Netherlands, Australia, and South Korea have restricted or banned access to the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek on government systems, citing security risks and concerns that user data stored on Chinese servers could be accessible to the Chinese government. The Dutch Data Protection Authority is investigating broader data transfers to China related to the platform.
What happened
The Netherlands, Australia, and South Korea have restricted or banned access to the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek on government systems and devices. The Dutch state secretary for digitalization confirmed that Dutch civil servants are forbidden from using DeepSeek across all ministries, applying existing policy that already prohibited Chinese applications in government.
Australia's Department of Interior signed a directive banning DeepSeek from all federal government systems and devices on the advice of intelligence services, which classified the chatbot as an 'unacceptable security risk'. South Korea's Ministry of Industry temporarily prohibited employee access to DeepSeek due to security concerns, while the Foreign Ministry restricted access on computers connected to external networks.
Reported impact
Experts warn that information entered into DeepSeek is stored on Chinese servers and may be accessible to the Chinese government. The Dutch Data Protection Authority called on users to exercise extreme caution and restraint when using the Chinese chatbot and is conducting a broader investigation into data transfers to China.
Index analysis
China is identified as a country with an 'offensive cyber program' directed against the Netherlands. The restrictions follow weeks of international concern about DeepSeek's security and privacy practices, similar to recent government bans on TikTok.
Governance controls
The Netherlands emphasized that the DeepSeek ban results from existing policy governing which applications are permitted on government devices. Taiwan, Italy, and other governments have also taken steps to limit access to DeepSeek.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.