Germany’s data protection commissioner has asked Apple and Google to remove Chinese AI startup DeepSeek from their app stores in the country due to concerns about data protection, following a similar crackdown elsewhere.
Commissioner Meike Kamp said in a statement on Friday that she had made the request because DeepSeek illegally transfers users’ personal data to China.
The two US tech giants must now review the request promptly and decide whether to block the app in Germany, she added, though her office has not set a precise timeframe. Google said it had received the notice and was reviewing it.
DeepSeek did not respond to a request for comment. Apple was not immediately available for comment.
According to its own privacy policy, DeepSeek stores numerous pieces of personal data, such as requests to its AI programme or uploaded files, on computers in China.
“DeepSeek has not been able to provide my agency with convincing evidence that German users’ data is protected in China to a level equivalent to that in the European Union,” Kamp said.
“Chinese authorities have far-reaching access rights to personal data within the sphere of influence of Chinese companies,” she added.
The commissioner said she made the decision after asking DeepSeek back in May to either meet the rules for transferring data outside the EU or to voluntarily remove its app. She said DeepSeek did not comply with this request.
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DeepSeek made headlines in January when it claimed to have built an AI model that could compete with US companies like OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, but at a much lower cost. Since then, it has faced scrutiny in both the US and Europe over its data security practices.
Earlier this year, Italy blocked the app from its app stores, saying there wasn’t enough information about how it uses people’s personal data. The Netherlands has also banned the app on government devices, while Belgium has advised its officials not to use it. A Belgian government spokesperson said more analysis is underway to decide what further action to take.
In Spain, the consumer rights group OCU asked the national data protection agency in February to look into possible risks from DeepSeek, but so far no ban has been imposed there.
Meanwhile, US lawmakers are planning to introduce a bill that would stop American executive agencies from using any AI models developed in China.
This week, Reuters reported exclusively that DeepSeek is helping China’s military and intelligence operations.
