DIGIVESTASI - Several Countries Restrict and Ban DeepSeek, China-Based AI Chatbot, A growing number of countries have begun imposing restrictions and even outright bans on DeepSeek, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot developed in China.

DeepSeek launched its first AI model in 2023, followed by the release of its latest model, DeepSeek R1, in November 2024. The chatbot's web-based interface was then introduced in January 2025.

In a short period, DeepSeek rapidly became one of the most popular AI chatbots globally, with its mobile app ranking as the most downloaded in Australia, Canada, China, Singapore, the UK, and the United States.

Despite its rising popularity, several nations have started imposing restrictions and bans on DeepSeek, citing security and data privacy concerns.

Here are the countries that have taken action against DeepSeek.

1. United States

Although widely used in the U.S., several government agencies have restricted DeepSeek.

According to a CNBC report on Tuesday (Jan 28, 2025), the U.S. Navy issued a warning to its personnel on Friday (Jan 24, 2025), advising them to avoid using DeepSeek for any purpose.

This prohibition includes using the app for work-related tasks or personal activities, such as downloading, installing, or accessing the platform.

The U.S. military cited potential security risks and ethical concerns surrounding the app’s origin and usage.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Defense is also working to block DeepSeek after discovering that several employees accessed the application within the past two days.

As reported by TechCrunch on Thursday (Jan 30, 2025), some Defense Department staff used DeepSeek and connected their work computers to Chinese servers.

In response, the Pentagon began restricting DeepSeek access on certain networks, though some employees could still reach the service.

These measures come amid growing concerns from the U.S. government over the national security implications of DeepSeek’s rapid expansion in the country.

2. Australia

In Australia, Finance Minister Jim Chalmers urged citizens on Wednesday (Jan 29, 2025) to exercise caution when using DeepSeek.

The Australian government is closely monitoring the development of this new technology.

Meanwhile, Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic also advised users to pay attention to privacy policies and data management practices within DeepSeek.

According to WA Today on Friday (Jan 31, 2025), Australia's largest cybersecurity provider, CyberCX, has called on the government and key infrastructure providers to ban DeepSeek.

CyberCX expressed concerns that the app could potentially share users' personal data with Chinese authorities and intelligence agencies.

3. Ireland

Irish Senator Fianna Fáil Malcolm Byrne has warned businesses and citizens to be cautious when using DeepSeek, as their data may be stored on Chinese servers.

According to RTE on Thursday (Jan 30, 2025), Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) has requested details on how DeepSeek processes data from Irish users.

However, DeepSeek has yet to respond to this request.

4. Italy

Italy became the first country to impose a full ban on DeepSeek.

According to Reuters on Thursday (Jan 30, 2025), Italy’s data protection authority, Garante, requested information from DeepSeek regarding user data collection and storage.

With no response from DeepSeek, Italy officially blocked the chatbot, citing a lack of transparency.

As of Wednesday (Jan 29, 2025), DeepSeek is no longer available on the App Store or Google Play in Italy.

Garante has also launched an investigation into the app’s data practices.

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