Washington, D.C. – US lawmakers have introduced a bill to prohibit the use of Chinese artificial intelligence program DeepSeek on government devices, citing concerns over national security and potential data transmission to the Chinese government.
Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Representative Darin LaHood (R-IL) spearheaded the legislation, warning of DeepSeek’s “direct ties” to Beijing. Their concerns were heightened following a report by US cybersecurity firm Feroot Security, which found hidden code in the AI model capable of transmitting user data to China Mobile, a state-owned telecom provider.
“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,” Gottheimer stated.
DeepSeek, a low-cost yet high-quality chatbot launched last month by a Chinese startup, has disrupted the global AI industry, challenging the dominance of US and Western AI developers. However, security fears have led to a swift international backlash. South Korea’s government agencies and police have already restricted DeepSeek’s access to their systems after the company failed to clarify its data management practices. Australia has similarly banned the AI tool from all government devices based on security agency recommendations, while France and Italy have raised concerns about its data policies.
LaHood reinforced the urgency of the US ban, stating, “Under no circumstances can a CCP-affiliated company be allowed to obtain sensitive government or personal data.”
The legislative push follows similar efforts to curb Chinese tech influence in the US, including the ongoing legal battle against TikTok. The popular video-sharing app faces a federal mandate to sever ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or risk being banned nationwide.
As global scrutiny on Chinese AI intensifies, DeepSeek’s future in Western markets remains uncertain.
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