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Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has grabbed the top spot in Apple’s (AAPL-0.05%) App Store and rattled Silicon Valley AI establishment. But it has also captured the attention of lawmakers, some who are now proposing banning the app from government-owned devices.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, told ABC News that a ban is in order. “I think we should ban DeepSeek from all government devices immediately,” said Gottheimer, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee. “No one should be allowed to download it onto their device.”
Gottheimer is co-author of a bipartisan bill to ban DeepSeek from government devices, which will be introduced Thursday.
“This should be a no-brainer in terms of actions we should take immediately to prevent our enemy from getting information from our government,” Gottheimer told The Wall Street Journal.
A move by the U.S. would follow a similar action by Australia this week to ban DeepSeek from government devices, networks, and computers. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement Tuesday that all DeepSeek products, applications, and services would be removed from government systems on national security grounds, effective immediately.
“AI is a technology full of potential and opportunity but the government will not hesitate to act when our agencies identify a national security risk,” Burke said.
U.S. lawmakers have expressed similar concerns about technology originating in China. TikTok has been on the verge of a ban in the U.S., with Chinese-made TP-Link routers also causing security concerns.
Security experts laud such a move.
“Consumers utilizing DeepSeek should have significant concerns regarding data sovereignty,” said Wes Green, a senior vice president at the AI training firm Invisible Technologies. “The DeepSeek model represents a far more serious foundational risk to Security and IP than even those surrounding TikTok’s manipulation of content for the West.”