A new bill introduced in the US House of Representatives seeks to ban Chinese artificial intelligence program DeepSeek from all government devices, citing concerns over national security and user data privacy. The bipartisan legislation, unveiled on Thursday by Representative Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, and Representative Darin LaHood, an Illinois Republican, warns of DeepSeek’s alleged ties to the Chinese government and its potential to compromise sensitive American data.
The push to outlaw DeepSeek follows a bombshell report from US cybersecurity firm Feroot Security, which revealed that the AI model contains hidden code capable of transmitting user data to China Mobile, a state-owned telecom giant. Lawmakers say this discovery calls for urgent need to block DeepSeek’s access to US government networks before it becomes a tool for foreign surveillance.
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Gottheimer did not hold back in his warning about the dangers posed by DeepSeek, accusing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of using AI as a weapon to undermine US national security, spread disinformation, and harvest data on American citizens. LaHood echoed these concerns, calling DeepSeek a “CCP-affiliated company” and insisting that under no circumstances should it be allowed near government or personal data.
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, recently stunned the global tech industry by launching an advanced, low-cost chatbot that rivals leading AI models from the United States and other countries. Its rapid rise has triggered alarm bells among Western nations, with fears that its capabilities could extend beyond innovation to espionage.
The United States is not alone in taking action. South Korea’s government ministries and law enforcement agencies have already blocked DeepSeek from their systems after the company failed to respond to a data watchdog’s inquiry about its handling of user information. Australia has also banned the AI model from all government devices based on security agency recommendations, while France and Italy have voiced serious concerns about DeepSeek’s data policies.
This crackdown on Chinese technology comes as the US continues its battle against TikTok, which faces a looming ban unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests its ownership. The escalating scrutiny on Chinese tech firms signals a growing effort by Western nations to limit Beijing’s influence in the AI race and prevent potential security breaches that could have far-reaching consequences.
