This country asks Apple, Google to block Chinese AI firm DeepSeek, here’s why

DeepSeek AI

Germany’s data protection regulator has called out Chinese AI firm DeepSeek for unlawfully transferring user data to China, setting the stage for a potential Europe-wide ban on the app. According to a report by CNBC, Berlin’s data protection commissioner, Meike Kamp, warned that DeepSeek has failed to prove it protects German users’ personal information to EU standards.

The core issue? DeepSeek allegedly sends user data back to China, where state authorities have broad rights to access it. That violates the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which restricts cross-border data transfers unless equivalent privacy safeguards exist in the destination country — something Kamp says is lacking in China, as per the report.

“The company has not been able to convincingly demonstrate that German users’ data is protected at an EU-equivalent level,” Kamp said in a statement to CNBC. “Chinese authorities have extensive access rights to personal data within the sphere of influence of Chinese companies,” he added.

The watchdog has notified Apple and Google, urging them to conduct a “timely review” of DeepSeek’s presence on their app stores. While it’s unclear whether the tech giants will comply, legal experts say that removing the app from their platforms could amount to a de facto EU ban.

DeepSeek, known for its cost-efficient AI models and a globally popular chatbot, is already facing scrutiny elsewhere in Europe. Italy banned the app in February, and Ireland has initiated its own data probe.