PARIS (Reuters) – The European Union authorities responsible for data protection are set to convene discussions on the topic of the artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek during a meeting scheduled for Tuesday, according to the meeting agenda. This gathering comes as concerns have been raised regarding the manner in which the Chinese company utilizes data. DeepSeek made waves across global markets recently when it showcased its ability to compete with heavyweight U.S. firms in the realm of human-like reasoning technology, all the while offering its services at a significantly lower cost.
However, certain European privacy watchdogs have expressed reservations about the potential usage of personal data belonging to European individuals for training purposes by DeepSeek, as well as the possibility of that data being transferred to China. The European Data Protection Board, based in Brussels, has included a discussion on DeepSeek in the agenda for its monthly meeting this week, as indicated on its official website.
During the meeting, national authorities are expected to discuss the measures they have taken in response to DeepSeek’s activities and share pertinent information. Marie-Laure Denis, the president of the French privacy watchdog CNIL, revealed to Reuters at the AI Action summit in Paris that the primary objective is to facilitate the exchange of information regarding the actions taken by authorities in response to DeepSeek and to ensure consistency in their approaches.
CNIL had announced last month its intention to engage with DeepSeek in order to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the functioning of the Chinese startup’s AI system and to assess any potential privacy risks for users. The organization informed Reuters that it had submitted its inquiries to DeepSeek on Monday.
Meanwhile, the data protection authority in Ireland has also sought information from the Chinese company, while the watchdog in Italy has issued orders for DeepSeek to suspend its chatbot service in the country following the failure of the Chinese firm to address the regulator’s concerns regarding its privacy policies.
Europe has been notably vigilant in safeguarding privacy rights, with its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) widely acknowledged as one of the most comprehensive and stringent data privacy laws in existence.
(Reporting by Florence Loeve in Paris and Foo Yun Chee in Brussels; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
