Germany Urges Apple, Google to Remove Chinese AI App DeepSeek Over Data Privacy Concerns

Germany’s data protection commissioner has called on Apple and Google to remove Chinese AI startup DeepSeek from their app stores in the country, citing illegal data transfers to China.

Credit: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg

Commissioner Meike Kamp said on Friday that DeepSeek sends users’ personal data to China without adequate safeguards, violating European Union data protection standards.

Kamp stated that DeepSeek failed to demonstrate that German users’ data is protected in China at a level equivalent to EU regulations.

She added that Chinese authorities have extensive access rights to personal data held by Chinese companies.

The commissioner said she had asked DeepSeek in May to comply with EU data transfer rules or voluntarily withdraw its app from Germany. The company did not comply.

Credit: APPLE

Apple and Google must now review the request and decide whether to block the app in Germany. No specific deadline has been set.

Google confirmed it had received the notice and is reviewing it. DeepSeek did not respond, and Apple was not immediately available for comment.

DeepSeek’s privacy policy states that it stores user data, including AI queries and uploaded files, on servers in China.

The company gained attention in January after claiming it had developed an AI model comparable to OpenAI’s ChatGPT at a lower cost.

However, DeepSeek has faced increasing scrutiny in Europe and the United States over its data handling practices.

Italy banned the app from its stores earlier this year due to insufficient information on personal data use. The Netherlands has prohibited it on government devices.

Belgium has advised government officials not to use DeepSeek, while Spain’s consumer rights group OCU has requested an investigation into the app’s potential risks.

The British government said use of DeepSeek remains a personal choice but added it is monitoring national security threats from all sources.

In the United States, lawmakers are preparing legislation to ban federal agencies from using AI models developed in China.

A recent report revealed that DeepSeek is supporting China’s military and intelligence operations.

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• Germany’s data commissioner urges Apple and Google to remove DeepSeek over data privacy violations

• DeepSeek accused of transferring German users’ data to China without adequate safeguards

• Italy and the Netherlands have already taken action against the app

Source: REUTERS