US lawmakers to introduce bill banning DeepSeek chatbot on govt devices

• Published On: 06 February 2025 at 20:21

According to the Wall Street Journal, a group of US lawmakers plans to introduce legislation on Thursday that would prohibit DeepSeek's chatbot application from being used on government-owned devices.

The proposed legislation comes as there are growing concerns about data security and the risks associated with AI applications developed by Chinese companies. Lawmakers argue that restricting DeepSeek's chatbot is consistent with broader efforts to protect sensitive government information from potential foreign influence or cybersecurity threats.

DeepSeek, a rising star in the AI industry, has received global attention for its advanced language models. However, like other Chinese technology firms, it is under scrutiny from US officials concerned about Beijing's influence over private enterprises.

If passed, the bill would add DeepSeek to the growing list of foreign technology services barred from accessing government networks. The move follows similar actions taken against apps such as TikTok, which have been banned from US government devices due to national security concerns.