Germany is asking Apple and Google to block DeepSeek from their app stores, saying the app is illegally sending user data to China.

DeepSeek took the AI world by storm, revealing a competitive AI model that was trained on a third-rate hardware at a fraction of the cost of models like Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini. Almost immediately, however, there were concerns about the AI company’s Chinese background, since all Chinese companies are legally required to support Beijing’s surveillance efforts. In fact, US officials recently accused the startup of aiding China’s military and intelligence operations.

US officials have also warned that DeepSeek is “designed to spy on Americans.”

“This report makes it clear: DeepSeek isn’t just another AI app — it’s a weapon in the Chinese Communist Party’s arsenal, designed to spy on Americans, steal our technology, and subvert U.S. law,” said House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar. “We now know this tool exploited U.S. AI models and reportedly used advanced Nvidia chips that should never have ended up in CCP hands. That’s why we’re sending a letter to Nvidia to demand answers. American innovation should never be the engine of our adversaries’ ambitions.”

It appears the US is not alone in its concerns. According to a report by Reuters, German Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) Meike Kamp says there are concerns that DeepSeek is illegally sending user data to China without consent.

“DeepSeek has not been able to provide my agency with convincing evidence that German users’ data is protected in China to a level equivalent to that in the European Union,” Kamp said.

“Chinese authorities have far-reaching access rights to personal data within the sphere of influence of Chinese companies,” she added.

As a result, Kamp has asked Apple and Google to block the app from their ecosystems.

DeepSeek Faces Deep Backlash

Germany is not the first country, jurisdiction, or company to restrict or block access to the Chinese AI model.

• In testimony before Congress, Microsoft President Brad Smith revealed that Microsoft prohibits its employees from using DeepSeek.
• Italy launched an investigation into DeepSeek’s data policies in early 2025, before moving forward with a ban on the app.
• According to Reuters, Belgium and Spain have raised concerns about DeepSeek, and the US is working to ban all Chinese AI models from use by executive agencies.

Only time will tell how many other jurisdictions follow Germany’s lead, but it is possible DeepSeek could find itself becoming the Huawei of the AI industry.