Rising apprehensions revolving around the enigmatic Chinese artificial intelligence application known as DeepSeek have prompted a pair of esteemed congressional lawmakers to advocate for state governors nationwide to prohibit the app from being utilized on government-issued devices. In an exclusive letter addressed to 47 governors and the mayor of Washington, D.C., initially disclosed to NBC News, Representatives Josh Gottheimer from New Jersey and Darin LaHood from Illinois issued a cautionary message highlighting potential data privacy and cybersecurity vulnerabilities associated with DeepSeek. Moreover, they raised concerns about the app potentially serving as a gateway for foreign adversaries to gain unauthorized access to sensitive government data.
Notably, Representative Gottheimer, who is concurrently vying for the gubernatorial position in New Jersey, and Representative LaHood have jointly sponsored a bill within the House of Representatives that seeks to impose a ban on the use of DeepSeek across all federal government devices. A corresponding bill was also introduced in the Senate just last week.
The impetus behind this warning was fueled by a recent report by The Associated Press, revealing that DeepSeek’s chatbot contains embedded code that could facilitate the transfer of user login credentials to China Mobile. China Mobile, a colossal state-owned telecommunications entity prohibited from operating within the United States, poses a significant national security concern. Additionally, DeepSeek openly admits within its app that user data is stored on servers located in China.
Expressing deep apprehension, Gottheimer and LaHood articulated their fear that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could potentially exploit DeepSeek to pilfer personal data belonging to American citizens. Their letter unequivocally asserts, “The CCP has unequivocally indicated its willingness to leverage any available means to compromise our national security, disseminate harmful disinformation, and harvest information on American individuals.” The document further emphasizes that the United States has been at the forefront of raising alarms regarding companies with ties to the CCP, notably citing Huawei and Byte Dance as entities that pose a direct threat to national security.
Several states, including Texas, New York, and Virginia, have already taken preemptive measures by banning DeepSeek from use on state government devices. Earlier this year, the congressional administration office cautioned congressional staffers against downloading the app onto any devices issued by the government.
Historically, the Chinese government has consistently brushed aside allegations suggesting any nefarious intent or exploitation of user data associated with China-based technology products. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, during a briefing in Beijing in early February, asserted, “The Chinese government places great emphasis on upholding data privacy and security within the ambit of the law. It has never mandated nor will it compel companies or individuals to collect or store data in contravention of legal statutes.”
Arguing vehemently in favor of state-level bans, Gottheimer and LaHood contend that state governments must not gamble with the security of their citizens. “By enacting these prohibitions,
