A bipartisan bill that would ban Chinese AI startup DeepSeek from government-owned devices is expected to be introduced Thursday, after a report linked the AI chatbot to a banned Chinese state-run telecommunications company, sparking national security concerns.
Researchers linked the AI chatbot to a Chinese state-owned telecommunications company, which has ... [+]
Reps. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., have written legislation banning DeepSeek from federal devices similar to a bill that banned TikTok from government devices, the lawmakers told the Wall Street Journal.
Feroot Security, a cybersecurity analysis firm, told the Associated Press that DeepSeek has hidden code that could send user login information to China Mobile, which the U.S. has banned from operating in the states after citing ties between the company and the Chinese military.
ABC News reported the bill, the “No DeepSeek On Government Devices Act,” would require the Office of Management and Budget to develop guidelines within 60 days for DeepSeek to be removed from federal devices, with some exceptions for law enforcement or national security-related activities.
The bill will also reportedly ban any future product developed by High-Flyer, the hedge fund that backs DeepSeek.
Neither DeepSeek nor High-Flyer immediately responded to requests for comment.
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It’s not immediately clear whether the bill will be supported by other lawmakers. Other legislators have reportedly expressed concerns about the chatbot, however, including worries about DeepSeek surpassing AI technology in the U.S. and the app’s potential to send a user’s personal information to the Chinese government. Some congressional offices have been warned not to use DeepSeek and all devices in the House are barred from accessing the app, after the House’s Chief Administrative Officer claimed “threat actors are already exploiting DeepSeek to deliver malicious software and infect devices,” Axios reported.
Several U.S. agencies have restricted access to DeepSeek. The U.S. Navy has instructed its members not to use the app, citing “potential security and ethical concerns” linked to DeepSeek, CNBC reported. The Defense Department has blocked access to DeepSeek after some officials raised concerns about agency workers using the app without authorization, according to Bloomberg. NASA reportedly banned DeepSeek after the aeronautics agency’s chief AI officer expressed national security concerns about the app. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order banning DeepSeek from government-issued devices in January, claiming the app is linked to the Chinese government to “infiltrate our state’s critical infrastructure through data-harvesting AI and social media apps.” Australia banned DeepSeek from government devices after officials claimed the app posed an “unacceptable risk” to national security. Italian officials have moved to remove DeepSeek from app stores in the country. Taiwan banned DeepSeek from government devices, saying the app “endangers national information security.” South Korean agencies have temporarily blocked DeepSeek, citing security concerns, according to Reuters.
DeepSeek’s generative AI model was released in the U.S. last month and quickly rose in popularity after the company claimed the chatbot outpaced its competitors, including ChatGPT. The AI model’s release rattled the U.S. stock market, led by Nvidia’s single-day loss of nearly $600 billion, amid speculation DeepSeek ran at a fraction of the cost of U.S.-based rivals. President Donald Trump called DeepSeek’s release a “wake-up call” for U.S. industries while applauding the company as a “positive development” because of its low costs. The app sparked similar concerns that led to the nationwide ban on TikTok, however, including claims that DeepSeek had ties to the Chinese government. DeepSeek refuses to answer questions on some controversial topics involving China, including queries about China’s treatment of Uyghurs, Taiwan’s status with China and what happened at Tiananmen Square in 1989.