US and allied governments restrict DeepSeek over data security concerns
Multiple governments including the United States, Italy, Ireland and Germany have restricted access to the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek over concerns it could leak user data to Chinese authorities. The US Department of Defense blocked the service after discovering staff had connected work computers to Chinese servers to use it, and federal investigators are examining whether the company circumvented US export controls to obtain restricted chips.
What happened
The United States Department of Defense blocked access to the DeepSeek AI chatbot after department officials discovered that staff members had connected their work computers to Chinese servers to use the application. At least two days before the block was implemented, department personnel had downloaded earlier versions of DeepSeek code onto work computers, initially without raising security team concerns due to unclear understanding of its connection to China.
Multiple countries including the United States, Italy, Ireland, and Germany have restricted or blocked DeepSeek access. The United States government, including the FBI, has opened an investigation into whether DeepSeek circumvented American export restrictions by purchasing advanced chips from NVIDIA through a third party in Singapore.
Reported impact
American cybersecurity companies confirmed that 50 to 70 percent of their clients have prohibited employees from using DeepSeek, citing primary concern that the application could leak data to Chinese authorities. Korean regulators have also requested that DeepSeek clarify and disclose information about how it handles data.
Governance controls
The Defense Information Systems Agency took action on January 28 to block official access to DeepSeek, with blocks appearing on some work screens on January 29, though information technology experts continued investigating the extent to which staff could access the application through web browsers.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.