The Trump administration is weighing a ban on the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek from U.S. government devices over national security concerns, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday.
According to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, U.S. officials are particularly worried about how DeepSeek handles user data. The chatbot’s parent company reportedly stores its data on servers located in China, raising concerns that sensitive information could be accessed by the Chinese government.
This move comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and China over technology and cybersecurity. Washington has long accused Beijing of using technology firms to spy on American entities, a charge that China has repeatedly denied. The concerns surrounding DeepSeek mirror previous actions taken against other Chinese tech companies, such as ByteDance’s TikTok and Huawei, which faced restrictions over similar data security fears.
The potential ban aligns with broader U.S. efforts to limit Chinese access to American data and communications infrastructure. In recent years, the U.S. government has scrutinized various Chinese tech firms, arguing that their operations could pose a threat to national security. Lawmakers have cited concerns that Chinese law requires companies to cooperate with government intelligence agencies if requested, potentially compromising sensitive information.
DeepSeek, an AI chatbot powered by advanced machine learning models, is widely used for natural language processing and automated customer support. While the company claims that it prioritizes user privacy and operates independently, U.S. officials remain skeptical.
If enacted, the ban would prohibit government employees from using DeepSeek on official devices, following similar restrictions imposed on TikTok. Analysts suggest that this could be the beginning of a broader crackdown on Chinese AI-driven applications in the U.S.
China has yet to respond to the potential ban, but it is likely to criticize the move as another example of U.S. economic and technological containment. As tensions continue to rise, the fate of DeepSeek and other Chinese tech companies in the U.S. remains uncertain.
