The US is one of several countries currently mulling a ban of DeepSeek after the Chinese AI chatbot unexpectedly became one of the most downloaded apps in the world last week.
Republican Senator Josh Hawley introduced a bill that would prohibit people in the US from using the app, or interacting with other artificial intelligence technologies built in China – or else face jail time and a fine of up to $1 million.
If passed into law, the US would become only the second country to introduce an outright ban of the app, however others have already implemented partial bans or signalled that DeepSeek is being scrutinised by regulators.
Many companies have also banned the viral app amid data security concerns, with the company’s privacy policy revealing that all user data is stored in servers based in China.
It comes amid similar concerns about apps such as TikTok, which itself is already banned in much of the world.
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Here is the full list of countries that have either taken, or are considering taking, action against DeepSeek.
Italy
The Italian Data Protection Authority ordered a nationwide ban of DeepSeek on 28 January 2025, preventing anyone in the country from downloading the app through the app stores of Apple and Google.
The regulator cited potential data breaches by DeepSeek’s parent companies – Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence and Beijing DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence – which are required to prove that it complies with GDPR, the European data protection law.
“[DeepSeek] declared that it does not operate in Italy and that European legislation does not apply to them,” read a statement from the regulators.
“The Authority, in addition to ordering the limitation of the processing, has simultaneously opened an investigation.”
The country previously banned OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT in 2023, however reinstated it after issuing a €15 million fine.
Taiwan
Government agencies in Taiwan have banned DeepSeek due to alleged security risks of the AI platform.
A statement from the country’s Ministry of Digital Affairs said that companies and governmental bodies involved with critical infrastructure should also forbid the app because it “endangers national information security”.
The statement added: “DeepSeek AI service is a Chinese product. Its operation involves cross-border transmission, and information leakage and other information security concerns.”
Australia
Australia introduced a ban of all DeepSeek products from government systems and devices on Tuesday, 4 February, with immediate effect.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke cited national security risks with the Chinese AI technology, saying that the restrictions were “country-agnostic and focussed on the risk to the Australian government and our assets”.
“AI is a technology full of potential and opportunity, but the Government will not hesitate to act when our agencies identify a national security risk,” he said.
The US
An official ban on government devices has not been implemented in the US, however congressional offices have reportedly been warned not to use DeepSeek technologies.
Other government agencies have banned employees from using the app, including Nasa and the Pentagon’s Defense Information Systems Agency, while the US Navy has issued a blanket ban for its service members using DeepSeek “in any capacity”.
The US Navy told members that the ban was a result of “potential security and ethical concerns” of the app.
Certain states are considering a ban of the app, with Texas becoming the first to issue an order banning software from DeepSeek and other Chinese tech companies from government devices.
If Senator Hawley’s bill passes into law, users could face up to 20 years in prison for using AI products developed in China.
Other countries considering a DeepSeek ban
Data protection authorities in Belgium, France and Ireland are all investigating the way DeepSeek handles the personal information of its citizens, hinting that a ban may be possible in those countries.
South Korea and India have also signalled that action may be taken against DeepSeek due to potential privacy and security infringements.
