Germany’s Data Watchdog Calls for DeepSeek Ban
Germany’s data protection authority has raised serious concerns about the Chinese AI company DeepSeek, accusing its app of unlawfully transferring user data from Germany to China. The Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection, Meike Kamp, stated that DeepSeek has not demonstrated adequate protection for German user data once it is transferred to China. Under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), personal data cannot be sent outside the EU unless the destination country provides protections equivalent to those in the EU. Kamp emphasized that Chinese authorities have broad access rights to data held by Chinese companies, which conflicts with GDPR standards.
The Berlin data watchdog has informed Apple and Google about the alleged GDPR violations and requested a timely review to decide whether DeepSeek’s app should be removed from their app stores. If either company decides to block the app, it could effectively result in an EU-wide ban, as the same data protection rules apply across all EU member states and the UK. Legal experts highlight that a consensus among EU regulators would be necessary before such a ban could be enforced across the entire bloc.
DeepSeek gained attention earlier this year by launching an AI model developed at a significantly lower cost than competitors, using less advanced Nvidia chips. The company’s global chatbot AI app has been downloaded millions of times, which has increased scrutiny from regulators. This is not the first time DeepSeek has encountered regulatory challenges in Europe; Italian authorities ordered a block of the app in February, and Irish regulators requested information about its data processing practices in January.
If DeepSeek is banned or restricted in Germany and potentially the wider EU, it would limit the company’s access to European markets and user data. This case highlights the strict enforcement of GDPR rules regarding international data transfers and the growing attention on AI applications handling personal data. The outcome may set a precedent for how AI companies outside the EU manage data protection compliance in the future.
