U.S. lawmakers push to eliminate DeepSeek from government devices over security fears

In early February 2025, bipartisan representatives in the United States introduced legislation to prohibit the use of DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence application, on federal devices. U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer and Darin LaHood cited severe national security risks, asserting that the app is associated with the Chinese Communist Party and could facilitate the collection of sensitive data on American citizens. Previous reports indicated that DeepSeek's coding includes functionality to transmit user data to China Mobile, a state-owned telecommunication firm banned from operating in the U.S. due to security concerns. These measures reflect growing apprehension within the U.S. government regarding potential espionage activities and the security implications posed by foreign technology. Furthering their concerns, lawmakers drew parallels between the risks posed by DeepSeek and those that led to previous bans on the social media platform TikTok. Both applications are seen as potential gateways for data breaches that could impact U.S. intelligence and security. Policymakers are advocating for strict measures to safeguard American federal employees from unauthorized access to personal and sensitive information from entities believed to have ties to adversarial nations. As DeepSeek gained traction and popularity in the tech industry for its innovative AI technology, its rapid rise has sparked significant concern about data privacy and national security.