Other nations are no doubt watching, but Italy has become the first country to hit DeepSeek with an information request about how it is using the data it collects.
Garante, or the Italian Data Protection Authority has written to the Chinese company, to ask for information because of the “possible risk for the data of millions of people in Italy.”
The information request comes too as the app is reportedly now unavailable in either the Google or Apple app stores in the country, at the same time as it enjoys a meteoric rise to the number one spot in the US.
What Do the Italians Want To Know?
The statement online says that the Italian authorities are asking for clarity on “which personal data is collected, from which sources, for which purposes, what is the basis legal nature of the processing, and whether it is stored on servers located in China.”
DeepSeek answers the last question in its English guide online, stating: “We store the information we collect in secure servers located in the People’s Republic of China.” It also lists the data that it collects and gives some reasons – all of which reads as pretty standard for AP models.
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However, the Italian authorities obviously want more information and the mention of the “legal nature” of the processing suggests that they want to know what Chinese laws the company is beholden to.
Are Any Other Countries Waving Red Flags?
While it has yet to take action, the Australian government has made it clear that it also has concerns. Australia’s science minister, Ed Husic, told ABC News that the AI model raises unanswered questions especially over “data and privacy management.” He said, as reported by BBC News: “I would be very careful about that, these type of issues need to be weighed up carefully.”
President Trump hasn’t made any kind of statement as to the potential dangers of using DeepSeek. He has, after all, given Chinese social media platform TikTok a reprieve despite widespread concerns about national security, Chinese propaganda, and US users’ data being sent to China.
Trump did say in a press conference that DeepSeek should be a “wakeup call” for America’s AI industry, but this seems more related to its rapid innovation than to security concerns.
Reuters reports that the White House is “looking at national security implications of DeepSeek.” There doesn’t seem to have been a formal statement confirming this though — only comments emphasizing the US’s need to win the AI arms race.
What’s Next for Italian AI Fans?
DeepSeek now has 20 days to respond to the Italians’ request for information. There is no information as to what will happen if it fails to do so or what will happen in the meantime.
TechCrunch is reporting that neither Apple nor Google are responding to requests for information about their app stores in Italy. The outcome may be uncertain, but what is certain is that other nations will be watching and this may encourage them to act.
