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

DeepSeek, an advanced AI platform from China, has quickly attracted the world's attention thanks to its powerful natural language processing capabilities and breakthroughs in AI technology.

By developing large language models (LLMs) that can compete with leading products such as OpenAI's GPT-4 or Google's Gemini, DeepSeek is not only a major step forward in China's AI field but also has made significant impacts globally.

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

Australia

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

The decision was made based on an assessment from intelligence agencies, which warned that continued use of the app could pose an unacceptable level of national security risk.

Mr. Tony Burke emphasized that the ban did not originate from the country of origin of the application, China, but was mainly based on potential risks to the security of the government and related assets.

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

All government departments, agencies and agencies nationwide will be required to promptly review and report back to the Ministry of Home Affairs to confirm that the app has been completely removed from all devices under their control.

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

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

At the time, the government stressed that TikTok posed serious “security and privacy” risks, especially amid concerns about the possibility that citizen and government data could be collected or exploited by foreign entities.

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

IDEA

Italy's data protection watchdog (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.

The move comes just days after Garante sent a detailed set of questions to DeepSeek, asking the company to provide information about how it collects, processes and stores personal data.

The watchdog wants to know exactly what kind of personal data DeepSeek's web platform and mobile apps collect, where it comes from, what it is used for, on what legal basis, and whether it 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 that was 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 have no formal 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 subject to its supervision.

With this argument, the watchdog decided to immediately block access to DeepSeek throughout Italy and at the same time open a comprehensive investigation into the company's activities to determine whether they violated EU data protection regulations.

Taiwan

Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs announced on January 31 that all government agencies and critical infrastructure systems on the island are not allowed to use DeepSeek, an AI service originating from China, due to serious information security concerns.

In an official announcement, the ministry stressed that: "The DeepSeek AI service is a product of China. Its operations involve cross-border information transmission, which poses a risk of data leakage and poses threats to information security."

To deal with cybersecurity risks from China, since 2019, Taiwan has issued a ban on the use of information and communications technology products and services originating from China in government agencies and important systems.

This regulation is implemented to prevent the risk of Beijing taking advantage of technology products to collect information or conduct cyber espionage activities.

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

Korea

South Korea's Ministry of Industry has issued a temporary ban on employees' access to the DeepSeek app due to national security concerns. An official from the ministry confirmed on February 5 that the decision was made after reviewing potential risks from the use of AI services, especially in government agencies and important organizations.

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

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

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

A Kakao spokesperson said on February 5 that while the company does not ban the use of AI technology in general, it has decided not to allow the use of DeepSeek's services in the company's work environment.

With the move, South Korea becomes one of the latest countries to issue a stark warning about security risks associated with AI services from Chinese companies, stressing the importance of data protection and national security amid rapidly evolving technology.

America

Although there has been no official nationwide ban, several US federal agencies, including the Navy and NASA, have advised employees not to use DeepSeek due to security and privacy concerns.

National AssemblyAmerica

US congressional offices have been warned not to use DeepSeek's technology. According to news platform Axios, the House Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) has announced that DeepSeek's technology is currently "under review."

The alert warns that “threat actors have exploited DeepSeek to spread malware and infect devices.” To mitigate these risks, the House has implemented security measures to restrict DeepSeek’s functionality on all House-issued devices.

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

NavyAmerica

According to CNBC, the US Navy has issued a directive prohibiting its service members from using DeepSeek applications and technology. In late January, the Navy sent an email asking service members not to use any DeepSeek products due to "potential security and ethical concerns related to the origin and use of this technology."

The decision was made based on recommendations from the Navy's chief information officer and Navy cyber experts, a Navy spokesman said.

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

Pentagon

The Pentagon has blocked access to DeepSeek's technology, although some employees had previously accessed the company's applications, Bloomberg reported.

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), which manages the Pentagon's IT network, banned DeepSeek's website in January after concerns that Defense Department employees were using DeepSeek's applications without permission.

While the ban remains in effect, Bloomberg reports that Defense Department employees can still access DeepSeek's AI application through an authorized 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, CNBC reported. The agency released a memo from NASA’s AI director stating that DeepSeek’s servers operate outside the United States, raising national security concerns.

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

State of Texas

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

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

With strong moves from major government and military agencies in the US, DeepSeek has faced bans and serious warnings from national security organizations, reflecting concerns about security risks related to AI technology from China.

Phan Van Hoa