Lawmakers Move to Prohibit DeepSeek App on Government Devices Amid Security Concerns

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WASHINGTON—A bipartisan effort is underway to ban the DeepSeek chatbot application from all government-owned devices due to fears that the app could provide user data to the Chinese government. The bill, set to be introduced Thursday, is spearheaded by Representatives Darin LaHood, a Republican from Illinois, and Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from New Jersey. The move mirrors past congressional action against TikTok, which led to the app's prohibition on government devices and initiated efforts to block its operations in the U.S.  

 

"This should be a no-brainer in terms of actions we should take immediately to prevent our enemy from getting information from our government," Gottheimer said.  

 

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company that burst onto the scene just last month, has rapidly become the most downloaded app in the U.S. The company’s decision to release its AI models as open-source software contributed to its immediate popularity among businesses, developers, and consumers. However, concerns have emerged over its potential risks to data security.  

 

An analysis conducted by Ivan Tsarynny, CEO of Feroot Security, a firm specializing in data protection and cybersecurity, revealed that the chatbot contains concealed code capable of transmitting user login information to China Mobile, a state-owned telecommunications company banned from operating in the U.S. The Associated Press had previously published Tsarynny’s findings.  

 

"Our personal information is being sent to China, there is no denial, and the DeepSeek tool is collecting everything that American users connect to it," Tsarynny stated in an interview.  

 

This revelation prompted LaHood and Gottheimer to craft legislation aimed at blocking DeepSeek from government networks. Both lawmakers hold key positions on a subcommittee of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, making them central figures in U.S. cybersecurity oversight.  

"Under no circumstances can we allow a CCP company to obtain sensitive government or personal data," LaHood emphasized, referring to the Chinese Communist Party.  

 

Several countries have already moved to restrict DeepSeek's access to government systems. On Tuesday, Australia announced a ban on the app from its government networks, citing data-security concerns. Key ministries in South Korea implemented similar restrictions this week, and Italy had already done so in January.  

 

Some federal agencies, including the U.S. Navy and NASA, have already blocked the app due to security and privacy concerns. Texas was the first U.S. state to implement a ban on DeepSeek for government devices, citing national-security risks.  

 

The approach taken against DeepSeek closely resembles Congress’s actions against TikTok in 2022 when the app was banned from government devices as part of a spending bill. Lawmakers were concerned that the Chinese government could access user data, leading to further efforts to prohibit the app entirely unless it severed ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.  

 

Although Congress passed legislation requiring TikTok to secure an American buyer, the deadline passed without a sale. In response, President Trump extended the timeframe for TikTok to divest its U.S. operations. The company has repeatedly denied sharing American user data with the Chinese government, asserting that it would not comply with such a request.

 

Based on a report by WSJ 2025-02-08

 

 

[thesetat]

They need to ban it across the country in any sensitive work. Personally, i would be happy if they banned it across the world. The same goes for Siri in Apple and Chatgpt and all the other programs similar to this. 

These apps are constantly listening through your microphones unless you deliberately disable their permissions. ( I am not saying they all do this, only they have the capability to do it ) Which means they can listen and record and transmit anything heard which is ridiculous and violates your personal rights.