US senators urge Commerce Department investigation of DeepSeek data security risks
Seven US senators requested the Commerce Department investigate whether DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company, has posed data security risks by transmitting American personal or enterprise data to China's military or military-affiliated entities, and whether it improperly accessed export-controlled semiconductors.
What happened
Seven Republican US senators led by Ted Budd, including Jon Husted, Todd Young, John Cornyn, John Curtis, Bill Cassidy and Marsha Blackburn, asked the Commerce Department to evaluate potential data security vulnerabilities posed by Chinese open-source AI models like DeepSeek.
The senators requested details on threats from data collected by applications being fed back to Chinese servers, whether AI models are feeding American personal or enterprise data to China's military or companies with Chinese military ties, and findings on how Chinese open-source models may have improperly accessed export controlled semiconductors or violated US model use terms.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in January it appeared DeepSeek had misappropriated US AI technology and vowed to impose restrictions.
Reported impact
In June, Reuters reported DeepSeek is aiding China's military and intelligence operations, citing a senior US official, and that the Chinese tech startup sought to use Southeast Asian shell companies to access high-end semiconductors that cannot be shipped to China under US rules.
Index analysis
US conclusions reflect a growing conviction in Washington that the capabilities behind the rapid rise of DeepSeek may have been exaggerated and relied heavily on US technology.
Governance controls
Senators have introduced bipartisan pieces of legislation to prohibit DeepSeek from operating on any federal government devices or networks and to prohibit federal contractors from using DeepSeek in government contracts.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.