The Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek is facing increased scrutiny in many countries due to concerns related to national security and the protection of personal data. The company, which claims to have developed an AI model capable of competing with ChatGPT at a significantly lower cost, stores vast volumes of data on servers located in China, according to its own privacy policy.
These concerns have led several governments to take restrictive measures. AustraliaThe use of DeepSeek has been banned on all government devices, as authorities believe the application poses a security risk. République tchèque adopted a similar measure for its entire public administration, citing concerns about the handling of sensitive data.
En FranceThe data protection authority announced that it had interviewed DeepSeek to better understand how its AI system works and to assess the potential risks to user privacy.Germany went further by asking Apple et Google to remove the application from their download platforms, believing that the data security guarantees were insufficient.
Other countries have also increased their vigilance.India asked its officials to avoid using DeepSeek and other AI tools for official purposes, while the Netherlands have opened an investigation into the company's data collection practices and banned the application for public officials. ItalyThe application was blocked in early 2025 before an investigation was closed conditionally, following commitments made by the company.
En South KoreaDeepSeek downloads were temporarily suspended after the start-up admitted to not complying with certain personal data protection rules. Taiwan also banned its use within public administrations, citing security and censorship risks. Conversely, the Russia encouraged cooperation between Chinese researchers and Russian financial institutions on joint AI projects.
To USAThe Trump administration is considering sanctions aimed at limiting DeepSeek's access to American technologies and is even contemplating restricting access for American users to its services. Several members of Congress have already called for the company to be classified among entities suspected of aiding the Chinese military, illustrating the growing geopolitical dimension surrounding AI models developed in China.
The DeepSeek case highlights the growing tensions between technological innovation, digital sovereignty and data protection, as governments seek to more strictly regulate the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.
