On Thursday, US lawmakers introduced a bill to prohibit the use of DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) program, on government devices, citing serious concerns about user data security.
The bipartisan bill was presented by Representative Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from New Jersey, and Representative Darin LaHood, a Republican from Illinois. They warned of “direct ties” between DeepSeek and the Chinese government, calling it an “alarming threat to US national security.”
The legislative move follows a recent report by US cybersecurity firm Feroot Security, which found that DeepSeek’s AI model contains hidden code capable of transmitting user data to China Mobile, a state-owned telecom giant.
DeepSeek made headlines last month after launching an affordable yet high-performing chatbot, intensifying competition in the global AI race and challenging the dominance of US tech firms.
Gottheimer stated that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is actively using technology to undermine US security, spread disinformation, and collect data on American citizens. LaHood reinforced this stance, calling DeepSeek a “CCP-affiliated company” that must not be allowed access to sensitive government or personal information.
Beyond the US, other nations are also taking action. South Korean government agencies and police have begun blocking DeepSeek after the company failed to respond to a data watchdog inquiry about its data management practices. Australia, following security agency recommendations, has banned DeepSeek from all government devices, while France and Italy have raised concerns over its data policies.
In a related development, TikTok is facing legal pressure in the US, where a new law mandates that its parent company, ByteDance, divest its ownership or risk being banned nationwide.
