Rome: Italy has taken a firm stance against the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek, blocking the application over concerns about its data privacy practices.
The country’s data protection authority, Garante, announced the decision on Thursday, citing insufficient transparency regarding how the app collects, processes, and stores personal information.
DeepSeek, developed by the Hangzhou-based startup DeepSeek Inc., was launched just last week and quickly gained traction, even surpassing OpenAI’s ChatGPT as the most popular AI assistant on Apple’s App Store. However, concerns over its data security led Italian regulators to demand detailed explanations about its data policies, including where personal data is stored and whether it remains in China.
The investigation was triggered by a complaint from Euroconsumers, a consumer rights group. Garante requested a response from DeepSeek within 20 days, but the company’s reply was deemed inadequate.
According to the watchdog, DeepSeek claimed it was not operating in Italy and therefore not subject to European data laws—an argument the regulator rejected.
Following Italy’s move, other countries have begun scrutinizing DeepSeek’s practices. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has also requested information on how the chatbot processes Irish users’ data, while South Korea’s privacy authorities are reportedly preparing a similar inquiry.
Meanwhile, security concerns have reached beyond Europe. The U.S. Navy has advised its personnel to avoid using DeepSeek, warning of potential ethical and security risks.
DeepSeek’s rapid rise has disrupted the AI market, shaking investor confidence and contributing to significant stock drops for major tech firms like Nvidia. With its cost-efficient AI solutions rivalling top U.S. models, the Chinese startup has emerged as a serious competitor, intensifying the global AI race.
