What just happened? Almost two years after releasing its powerful AI model, DeepSeek is still causing a stir in Western markets. German authorities have now requested that two major mobile platforms ban the app in the country, citing the Chinese company's blatant violations of Europe's strict privacy laws.
Google and Apple must remove DeepSeek from their app stores, as the AI tool is unlawfully transmitting German users' personal data to China. The Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information has formally requested that the two mobile platforms ban DeepSeek, following a lack of response from the Chinese company.
According to Germany's data protection authority, DeepSeek offers a powerful "multifunctional" chatbot to users within the country. Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), any company that processes the personal data of European citizens is required to establish a local legal entity within the EU or, alternatively, ensure that GDPR-equivalent privacy protections are enforced in the country it operates from.
DeepSeek has done neither, despite handling "extensive" amounts of personal data, including text inputs, chat logs, and uploaded files. In addition, the chatbot reportedly collects further information about users' locations, devices, and network environments.
Berlin authorities asked DeepSeek to comply with GDPR regulations back in May, but the company failed to provide any meaningful response. As a result, Germany's Data Protection Commissioner, Meike Kamp, has officially requested that Google and Apple remove DeepSeek from their mobile app stores.
The two tech giants must now review the detailed report Kamp submitted and are expected to act "promptly" against the Chinese LLM operator and its mobile products.
Kamp stated that DeepSeek's handling of German users' data is illegal, and the company has not demonstrated that user privacy is taken seriously in China. Chinese authorities are widely suspected of having unrestricted access to data collected by domestic tech firms, an arrangement that is incompatible with the requirements of the GDPR.
Since its debut in 2023, DeepSeek has remained a source of controversy and regulatory scrutiny across the US, Europe, and other parts of the world. The company has faced accusations of opaque and untrustworthy behavior, intellectual property theft, and misuse of Western-developed language models such as ChatGPT. In response, DeepSeek has attempted to improve its public image by releasing portions of its technology and models under an open-source license.
Germany asks Apple and Google to ban DeepSeek over illegal data transfers to China
