U.S. Considers Banning Chinese AI Chatbot DeepSeek from Government Devices Over Security Concerns -

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March 7, Washington: The Trump administration is reportedly considering banning the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot DeepSeek from U.S. government devices due to national security concerns. Officials are troubled by DeepSeek’s data storage practices, as the company claims to store user data on servers located in China, raising fears about potential access by the Chinese government.

DeepSeek, which was created by the Chinese tech firm High Flyer, quickly became popular all over the world after it launched in January 2025. The sophisticated AI model of the chatbot, called R1, is equal to the capabilities of top American models but was created at a small fraction of the price and without depending on cutting-edge chips. This technological advancement has caused worries in America about lagging behind China in AI development.

The main concern revolves around data protection. DeepSeek’s habit of keeping user data on servers within China has sparked concerns among U.S. officials, who are worried that the Chinese government would be able to access such data under China’s cybersecurity regulations. The regulations require companies to make data accessible to authorities on request, possibly putting sensitive data at risk.

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Cybersecurity professionals have echoed these fears, pointing to the risks of data gathering activities by apps such as DeepSeek. The app is said to gather extensive user information, including keystrokes and IP addresses, that are saved on Chinese servers open to government access.

To address these issues, U.S. legislators have moved to limit the use of DeepSeek. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Darin LaHood (R-IL) introduced a bipartisan bill in February 2025 to prohibit the use of DeepSeek on government devices. The bill would mandate that government agencies create procedures for uninstalling DeepSeek and other apps created by High Flyer from official devices within 60 days.

This legislative step follows similar steps taken against other Chinese-owned applications, like TikTok, which had been subject to similar bans based on data security and privacy. The similarities between the two situations reflect the wider concern over Chinese technology firms’ access to American user information.

Several U.S. states have actively prohibited DeepSeek on government devices. In February 2025, New York banned the use of DeepSeek on state devices and networks due to serious data privacy concerns and risks of censorship. The move by the state is in response to concerns regarding foreign surveillance and the harvesting of user information by the China-based app.

In a similar vein, Texas was the first state to outlaw DeepSeek and social media platform RedNote from government devices for fear that the data would become accessible to officials from the Chinese Communist Party. Governor Greg Abbott requested to eliminate the apps from devices issued by the government due to the sustained fear of Chinese data access and control.

The fear over DeepSeek is not limited to the United States. Australia prohibited DeepSeek from use on all federal government equipment in February 2025, due to national security threats. The move was after advice from intelligence agencies and indicates a guarded approach to new technologies that might threaten security.

Other nations, such as Taiwan and Italy, have followed suit to limit the use of DeepSeek on government systems, reflecting a worldwide trend of being careful with the app.

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The deliberation of a federal prohibition of DeepSeek is an addition to the current tensions between China and the United States regarding technology and cybersecurity. The previous measures, including the prohibition of TikTok on government devices, have already strained diplomatic relations. The prospective prohibition of DeepSeek might complicate diplomatic interactions further, particularly in the field of technology and data security.

The Trump administration’s consideration of prohibiting DeepSeek from government machines reflects the increased level of scrutiny foreign technology firms and their data-handling practices are receiving. As AI technologies continue to move at lightning speed, governments around the world are challenged to balance technology development with their security concerns. The decision of the DeepSeek deliberations will have a bearing on future policy on foreign technology and data protection.

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