Following the Italian data protection regulator, Germany’s data protection watchdog has now asked Apple and Alphabet subsidiary Google to remove the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup’s DeepSeek app from their online stores due to concerns about personal data. In a statement released on Friday, Meike Kamp said she made the request because, in her opinion, DeepSeek was illegally transferring personal data of German users to China.
The two US tech giants will now have to quickly evaluate this request before deciding whether or not to block the app in Germany, she added. DeepSeek did not respond to a request for comment, while Apple and Google were not immediately available for comment. In its terms of use, DeepSeek says it stores a lot of personal data, such as requests sent to its AI program or downloaded files, on computers located in China.
“DeepSeek has not been able to provide my agency with convincing evidence that German user data is protected in China at a level equivalent to that in the European Union,” Meike Kamp argues.“Chinese authorities have extensive rights of access to personal data within the sphere of influence of Chinese companies,” she continues.
Meike Kamp said she made the decision after asking DeepSeek in May to comply with rules on data transfers outside the European Union (EU) or remove its app from Apple and Google stores. He said DeepSeek never responded to his request. The Chinese startup shocked the tech world in January by claiming it had developed an AI model that could rival those of American companies like ChatGPT maker OpenAI at a fraction of the cost.
Italy banned DeepSeek from app stores earlier this year, citing a lack of disclosures about its use of personal data, while the Netherlands banned the app from government devices. A bill is being prepared in the United States that would prevent American agencies from using artificial intelligence models developed in China.
Reuters, citing a senior U.S. official, reported this week that DeepSeek has assisted Beijing in military and intelligence operations.
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