Two US lawmakers have introduced legislation to ban DeepSeek’s AI chatbot from government-owned devices, citing national security concerns over data privacy and potential Chinese government access to sensitive information. The “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act,” sponsored by Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and Republican Rep. Darin LaHood of Illinois, targets the Chinese AI startup that recently disrupted the artificial intelligence landscape.
DeepSeek emerged as a major player in the AI industry last month when it released its R1 model, which the company claims matches the performance of leading US competitors like OpenAI while requiring significantly lower training costs. This announcement sent shockwaves through Wall Street and raised questions about American AI dominance. Within days of its flagship model’s release, DeepSeek became the most downloaded free app on Apple’s App Store in the United States.
The proposed legislation comes amid growing concerns that US citizens are sharing sensitive information—including contracts and financial records—with the chatbot. According to DeepSeek’s privacy policy, user data is stored in China, raising red flags about potential access by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). These concerns were amplified by research published by Toronto-based cybersecurity firm Feroot Security, which discovered hidden code in DeepSeek capable of transmitting user data to CMPassport.com, the online registry for China Mobile, a telecommunications company owned and operated by the Chinese government.
International response has been swift. Australia banned DeepSeek from all government devices on Tuesday citing national security grounds, while Italy’s data protection authority ordered DeepSeek to block its chatbot in the country last week. The US legislative effort mirrors the approach taken with TikTok, which faced similar scrutiny over data privacy concerns. In December 2022, the Senate unanimously approved a bill blocking federal employees from using TikTok on government devices, eventually leading to broader legislation requiring ByteDance to divest the app or face a ban.
The bipartisan nature of the bill underscores the seriousness with which US lawmakers view the potential security threat. President Trump recently granted TikTok a 75-day extension to comply with divestment requirements, demonstrating the complex geopolitical dynamics surrounding Chinese technology companies operating in the United States.
Key Quotes
DeepSeek’s generative AI program acquires the data of US users and stores the information for unidentified use by the CCP. Under no circumstances can we allow a CCP company to obtain sensitive government or personal data.
Rep. Darin LaHood explained the national security rationale behind the proposed legislation, emphasizing concerns about Chinese Communist Party access to American user data through DeepSeek’s AI chatbot.
We’ve seen China’s playbook before with TikTok. We cannot allow it to happen again.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer drew parallels between DeepSeek and TikTok, suggesting lawmakers are applying lessons from previous Chinese technology security concerns to prevent similar risks with AI applications.
Our Take
This legislative move represents a watershed moment for AI geopolitics. DeepSeek’s rapid rise exposed vulnerabilities in the assumption that US companies would maintain unchallenged AI dominance. The discovery of hidden code transmitting data to Chinese government-linked servers validates concerns about dual-use technology and surveillance capabilities embedded in consumer applications.
What’s particularly significant is the speed of the response—lawmakers are moving much faster than they did with TikTok, suggesting institutional learning about technology threats. However, this also raises questions about whether blanket bans are the most effective approach or if they risk fragmenting the global AI ecosystem into competing spheres. The bipartisan support indicates this isn’t merely political theater but reflects genuine security establishment concerns. As AI becomes more powerful and data-hungry, expect similar confrontations over which countries’ AI systems are deemed trustworthy for sensitive applications.
Why This Matters
This legislative action represents a critical moment in the escalating technology competition between the United States and China, particularly in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence sector. The DeepSeek ban proposal signals that US policymakers are applying lessons learned from the TikTok saga to preemptively address national security concerns with Chinese AI applications.
The story highlights growing tensions around data sovereignty and AI development. DeepSeek’s ability to match OpenAI’s performance at lower costs challenges assumptions about American AI superiority and raises questions about whether China has achieved technological parity or superiority in certain AI domains. This has significant implications for US competitiveness, military applications, and economic security.
For businesses and consumers, this development underscores the importance of understanding where AI tools store data and who has access to it. As AI chatbots become increasingly integrated into daily workflows, the security implications of sharing sensitive information with these systems become paramount. The international coordination—with Australia and Italy taking similar actions—suggests a broader Western alliance forming around restricting Chinese AI applications, which could reshape the global AI landscape and force companies to choose between markets.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/deepseek-bill-ban-government-devices-2025-2