Which countries have implemented restrictions or bans on the use of DeepSeek?

DeepSeek, an advanced AI platform from China, has quickly gained global attention thanks to its powerful natural language processing capabilities and breakthroughs in AI technology.

With the development of large-scale language models (LLMs) capable of competing with leading products such as OpenAI's GPT-4 or Google's Gemini, DeepSeek is not only a significant step forward in China's AI field but also has a considerable global impact.

However, along with its rapid development, DeepSeek has also faced concerns related to data security and privacy. Some countries have imposed restrictions or banned the use of DeepSeek on government systems and issued recommendations against its use due to cybersecurity concerns.

Australia

On February 4th, Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke signed an official directive ordering a complete ban on the app on all systems and devices owned or managed by the federal government.

This decision was made based on assessments from intelligence agencies, which warned that continued use of the app could create unacceptable levels of national security risks.

Tony Burke emphasized that the ban did not stem from the app's country of origin, China, but was primarily based on potential risks to government security and related assets.

He asserted that the government has a responsibility to protect sensitive national data and critical systems from external threats, regardless of the origin of the software or technology involved.

All departments, bureaus, and government agencies nationwide must promptly review and report back to the Ministry of Interior to confirm that the application has been completely removed from all devices under their management.

At the same time, they must also ensure that this application cannot be reinstalled in any way in the future. Compliance with this directive needs to be implemented as soon as possible to eliminate any potential security risks.

The decision to ban the app comes nearly two years after the government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued a nationwide ban on TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media platform.

At the time, the government stressed that TikTok posed serious risks to “security and privacy,” particularly amid concerns about the potential for citizens' and government data to be collected or exploited by foreign entities.

This ban reflects a continued tightening of cybersecurity measures and the protection of sensitive information against potential threats from foreign technology.

IDEA

The Italian data protection authority (Garante per la Protezione dei Dati Personali) has officially blocked the DeepSeek service in the country, citing a lack of transparency in the collection and processing of users' personal data.

This move comes just days after Garante sent a series of detailed questions to DeepSeek, requesting the company provide information on how it collects, processes, and stores personal data.

Regulators want to know exactly what types of personal data DeepSeek's web platform and mobile app collect, where that data comes from, what purposes it is used for, on what legal basis, and whether this data is stored in China.

In a statement dated January 30, 2025, Garante said it had decided to block the service after DeepSeek responded with information deemed "completely insufficient" to ensure transparency and compliance with European Union (EU) data protection regulations.

The two entities behind DeepSeek, Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence and Beijing DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence, have denied responsibility for compliance with European law, claiming that they do not have official operations in Italy and are therefore not subject to the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

However, Garante asserts that DeepSeek's services are available to users in Italy, and therefore remain under their oversight.

Based on this argument, the regulatory body decided to immediately block access to DeepSeek throughout Italy and simultaneously launch a comprehensive investigation into the company's operations to determine whether it violated EU data protection regulations.

Taiwan

Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs announced on January 31st that all government agencies and critical infrastructure systems on the island are prohibited from using DeepSeek, an AI service originating from China, due to serious information security concerns.

In its official statement, the Ministry emphasized that: "The DeepSeek AI service is a product of China. Its operation involves the transmission of information across borders, posing a risk of data leakage and creating threats to information security."

To counter cybersecurity threats from China, since 2019, Taiwan has banned the use of information and communication technology products and services originating from China in government agencies and critical systems.

This regulation is being implemented to prevent the risk of Beijing exploiting technology products to collect information or conduct cyber espionage.

The decision to ban DeepSeek is the latest move in a series of measures by Taiwan to strengthen data protection and national security against threats from China.

Korea

The South Korean Ministry of Industry has issued a temporary ban on employees accessing the DeepSeek application due to national security concerns. An official from the ministry confirmed on February 5th that the decision was made after considering the potential risks of using AI services, particularly in government agencies and critical organizations.

According to officials, the South Korean government issued an official notice on February 4th, urging all ministries and government agencies to exercise caution when using AI services, including DeepSeek and ChatGPT, in their daily work. The government is concerned that these technologies may contain security vulnerabilities or could be used to collect unwanted data.

Earlier this month, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company, a key state-owned energy company, announced that it had ceased using AI services, including DeepSeek, to ensure information security and protect the nation's critical infrastructure.

In addition, Kakao Corp, one of South Korea's largest tech giants, also instructed its employees not to use DeepSeek due to data security concerns.

A Kakao spokesperson stated on February 5th that, while the company does not prohibit the use of AI technology in general, they have decided not to allow the use of DeepSeek's services in the company's work environment.

With this move, South Korea becomes one of the latest countries to issue a serious warning about the security risks associated with AI services from Chinese companies, while also emphasizing the importance of protecting data and national security in the context of rapidly developing technology.

America

Although there hasn't been an official nationwide ban, several U.S. federal agencies, including the Navy and NASA, have advised employees against using DeepSeek due to security and privacy concerns.

National AssemblyAmerica

US congressional offices have been warned against using DeepSeek technology. According to the news platform Axios, the House Chief Executive Officer (CAO) announced that DeepSeek's technology is currently "under review."

The notification warned that "threat actors have exploited DeepSeek to spread malware and infect devices." To mitigate these risks, the House of Representatives has implemented security measures to restrict DeepSeek's functionality on all devices issued by the House.

According to Axios, CAO has also banned employees from installing the DeepSeek app on official devices such as smartphones, computers, or tablets.

NavyAmerica

According to CNBC, the U.S. Navy has issued a directive prohibiting service members from using the DeepSeek app and technology. In late January, the Navy sent an email instructing service members not to use any DeepSeek products due to "potential security and ethical concerns related to the source and use of this technology."

A Navy spokesperson said the decision was made based on recommendations from the Navy's chief information officer and Navy cybersecurity experts.

In the email, the Navy requested that members not use DeepSeek technology for any work-related or personal purposes and refrain from downloading, installing, or using the company's products.

Pentagon

According to Bloomberg, the Pentagon has blocked access to DeepSeek's technology, even though some employees had previously accessed the company's applications.

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), the agency responsible for managing the Pentagon's IT network, implemented a ban on DeepSeek's website in January, following concerns that Department of Defense personnel were using DeepSeek's applications without authorization.

Although the ban remains in effect, Bloomberg reports that Department of Defense employees can still access DeepSeek's AI application through a proxy platform called Ask Sage, which does not connect directly to servers in China.

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationUSA (NASA)

NASA has also decided to ban employees from using DeepSeek's technology, according to CNBC. The agency released a memo from NASA's AI director stating that DeepSeek's servers operate outside of the United States, raising national security concerns.

The memo clearly states that, “DeepSeek and its products and services are not permitted for use with NASA data and information or on government-issued devices and networks.” NASA employees are not permitted to access DeepSeek via NASA devices or the agency’s network connections.

State of Texas

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued an order banning the use of software from DeepSeek and other Chinese technology companies on state-issued devices.

In his statement, Abbott stressed that Texas will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate the state's critical infrastructure through AI data-collecting technologies and social media applications. He affirmed that Texas will continue to defend the state from foreign actors with hostile intentions.

With strong actions from major US government and military agencies, DeepSeek has faced serious bans and warnings from national security organizations, reflecting concerns about security risks associated with AI technology originating from China.