Several government organizations, including those in South Korea and Australia, have lately blocked access to DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup’s latest chatbot program, which is primarily intended for government employees.
According to media reports, the United States and numerous other countries are considering limiting DeepSeek access on government employees’ mobile devices. The biggest concerns focus around potential security risks associated with Chinese technology, as well as a lack of transparency about how the site collects and manages user data.
DeepSeek made headlines in the tech business last month when it claimed to have much cheaper development costs, causing share prices of major US tech companies to fall. The company stated that its AI model required a fraction of the expenditure that competitors had made in their own AI technologies. The discovery generated a flurry of online comments, with social media users joking, “I can’t believe ChatGPT lost its job to AI.”
What is DeepSeek?
DeepSeek is a Chinese artificial intelligence firm based in Hangzhou. Founded in 2023 by entrepreneur Liang Feng, this company seeks to disrupt the AI sector with low-cost solutions. Liang is also the co-founder of High-Flyer, a $7 billion hedge fund organization that he founded in 2016 with two university classmates.
DeepSeek debuted its latest AI chatbot, DeepSeek R1, in January. It is a free-to-use model that is similar to ChatGPT, the AI assistant developed by OpenAI in the United States.
AI chatbots are designed to mimic human conversation by allowing users to ask questions and receive responses based on the data on which they were trained, as well as publicly available information from the internet.
These AI technologies have a wide range of applications, including mathematical equation solving and email composition, as well as document generation, language translation, and code writing.
Which countries will restrict AI programs from Deepseek?
Several government agencies around the world are beginning to restrict or banning the use of DeepSeeks AI software for employees, citing security and data protection concerns.
- United States
According to the Wall Street Journal, US lawmakers are preparing lawmakers to prohibit DeepSeek on government devices.
On January 31st, NASA blocked access to DeepSeek through its systems and employee devices. A week ago, US Marines issued internal consulting warning staff about “potential security and ethical concerns” related to chatbot reports reported by CNBC and functionality.
- South Korea
South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy has issued a temporary ban on DeepSeek for employees, citing similar security concerns. Officials also warned all government organizations to be cautious while adopting AI tools such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek.
Furthermore, on January 31, South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission announced that it would formally seek DeepSeek to clarify how it manages user data.
Meanwhile, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, a state-run business, has been blocking AI services, including DeepSeek, on its employees’ smartphones since last month.
- Australia
On Tuesday, the Australian government officially blocked access to DeepSeek to all government equipment, citing security concerns.
In an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, all government agencies were instructed to “prevent the use or installation of Deekseek products, applications, and web services.” Additionally, the agency was ordered to remove existing cases of DeepSeek from all government systems and devices in Australia.
Home Minister Tony Burke stressed that a decision was made to protect Australia’s national security and interests, as reported in Australian media.
Italy
On January 30th, the Italian Data Protection Agency (Galante) has placed restrictions on the processing of data from Italian users of Deepseek, raising concerns about the company’s lack of transparency regarding the use of personal data.
- Before this case, the authorities had already begun an investigation on January 28th to clarify whether to collect, store and process user data.
Taiwan
Taiwan also took action against DeepSeek, announcing on Monday that the government sector has been banned from using AI software due to potential safety threats.
How is DeepSeek different from ChatGPT and other AI models?
One of DeepSeek’s most distinguishing features is its cost efficiency.
DeepSeek caused a stir in the AI business when it claimed in a December research article that training its current model took less than $6 million in computer power using Nvidia H800 chips. This is in stark contrast to the large budgets of US-based AI firms—OpenAI reportedly spent more than $100 million to train GPT-4, and Google’s Gemini also has significant financial backing.
DeepSeek’s low cost has spurred rapid adoption. The AI chatbot was publicly released on January 20, and within a week, it had risen to the top of the Apple App Store rankings. DeepSeek’s unexpected climb shook the AI market, causing a 17% drop in Nvidia’s stock price and wiping over $600 billion off its market capitalization.
- March Madness 2025: Printable Bracket, Game Schedule & How to Watch - March 13, 2025
- March Madness Miracles: Worst Records to Get an NCAA Tournament Bid - March 13, 2025
- NCAA DI Wrestling Championships 2025: How to Watch, Brackets & Selection Info - March 13, 2025
