Lawmakers in the United States (US) have proposed legislation calling for a ban on the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek from government devices, according to a press release.
The legislation, titled “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act,” would restrict officials from accessing the popular new chatbot on government-issued devices.
The lawmakers, Representatives Josh Gottheimer and Darin LaHood, have raised concerns over China’s potential for surveillance and spreading misinformation.
The press release cites research that DeepSeek “compromises American users’ sensitive data”.
“New research has revealed that DeepSeek’s code is directly linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), with the capability to share user data with China Mobile,” the statement reads.
It adds: “China Mobile, owned by the Chinese government and with close ties to the Chinese military, has been banned by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for use in the United States.”
Last week, Texas became the first state to ban the use of DeepSeek on official devices.
“The Chinese Communist Party has made it abundantly clear that it will exploit any tool at its disposal to undermine our national security, spew harmful disinformation, and collect data on Americans,” says Gottheimer. “Now, we have deeply disturbing evidence that they are using DeepSeek to steal the sensitive data of U.S. citizens.”
Besides, South Korea has banned the chatbot at its trade and defence ministries over data management concerns. DeepSeek is also banned in Australia, Taiwan, and Italy over concerns regarding the handling of citizens’ personal information.
