Czech authorities prohibit the use of AI chatbot Deepseek
In a series of moves aimed at safeguarding data security and privacy, governments across the globe have decided to ban the use of the Chinese AI chatbot, DeepSeek. The affected countries include the Czech Republic, Germany, the United States, Texas, Australia, and Taiwan.
### Reasons for the Bans and Concerns
The primary reason behind these bans is the unlawful transfer of user data to China, as declared by German authorities. DeepSeek's alleged violations of data protection regulations, such as breaching Article 46(1) of GDPR, have also raised concerns.
Moreover, the US Congress and lawmakers have labelled DeepSeek a "profound threat" to national security and privacy. The fear is that the Chinese company behind DeepSeek may be linked to China’s military and intelligence services. This has led to the introduction of the "No Adversarial AI Act," a bipartisan bill that prohibits federal agencies from using AI models developed in China, Russia, and other adversarial nations, including DeepSeek.
### Geopolitical and Cybersecurity Concerns
The bans reflect wider anxieties about the Chinese Communist Party’s approach to AI, which US lawmakers describe as involving IP theft, chip smuggling, and embedding AI in surveillance and military platforms. Governments fear that DeepSeek could be a vector for surveillance, data leakage, or cyber operations undermining democratic institutions and privacy.
### Summary of Concerns
| Country/Region | Reason for Ban | Specific Data Security Concerns | |----------------|----------------|--------------------------------| | Germany | Violation of GDPR; unlawful data transfers | Transfer of user data to China; privacy breaches | | Italy | Privacy violations | Similar GDPR concerns; app store ban | | United States | National security threat; federal agency ban | Potential aiding of China’s military/intelligence; unauthorized data access | | Texas | Aligns with US federal stance | Data security and espionage concerns | | Australia | Likely aligned with western security concerns | Protection against foreign AI influence | | Taiwan | Security and espionage fears | Risk of intelligence gathering by Chinese authorities |
### Implementation and Enforcement
The ban on DeepSeek in the Czech Republic was announced by Prime Minister Petr Fiala following a cabinet meeting in Prague. The details of the implementation and enforcement of the ban are yet to be announced.
In summary, these governments are taking a precautionary stance on DeepSeek due to its close ties with Chinese entities, the risk of sensitive data being exposed or exploited, and the broader geopolitical conflict involving AI technology as a strategic asset. The primary concerns centre on user privacy violations, unlawful data transfers, and potential military-intelligence exploitation of the AI technology by China.
In light of the alleged violations of data protection regulations and suspicions of unauthorized data access, the United States has identified DeepSeek as a potential threat to national security and has introduced the "No Adversarial AI Act" to prohibit federal agencies from using AI models developed in China. Furthermore, the Czech Republic, Germany, Australia, Texas, and Taiwan have imposed bans due to concerns about user privacy violations, unlawful data transfers, and potential espionage risks, demonstrating a collective focus on cybersecurity and data protection.
