DeepSeek AI app should be banned from US government devices, lawmakers say

(Image credit: Getty Images)

New legislation could ban DeepSeek from government devices
DeepSeek poses a threat to US national security, experts say
US Navy and NASA have already banned the app

DeepSeek's AI app, which recently sent waves through the global AI market by offering a seemingly more powerful model developed at a comparatively lower cost than its competitors, should be banned from US government devices, lawmakers have said.

Two congress members are seeking to introduce a bipartisan bill to ban the app from government devices as it poses a national security threat to the US.

The bill, introduced by US Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Darin LaHood (R-IL), is titled the “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act.”

Protect US AI market by banning DeepSeek

The two representatives are both senior members of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, with the bill being introduced after the DeepSeek app was branded a threat to US AI stocks, with recent research from Feroot Security alleging the app is feeding user information to companies under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

“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,” Feroot analyst Ivan Tsarynny told the WSJ.

Some bans have already been introduced, with the state of Texas already banning the app from government devices, and the US Navy and NASA banning the app from their employee devices. If the bill is passed, the US would be following in the footsteps of countries such as Australia, Italy, and South Korea which have already introduced similar legislation.

“We simply can’t risk the CCP infiltrating the devices of our government officials and jeopardizing our national security,” Gottheimer said. LaHood echoed these sentiments, stating, “This commonsense, bipartisan piece of legislation will ban the app from federal workers’ phones while closing backdoor operations the company seeks to exploit for access.”

“It is critical that Congress safeguard Americans’ data and continue to ensure American leadership in AI,” La Hood said.

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Benedict has been writing about security issues for over 7 years, first focusing on geopolitics and international relations while at the University of Buckingham. During this time he studied BA Politics with Journalism, for which he received a second-class honours (upper division), then continuing his studies at a postgraduate level, achieving a distinction in MA Security, Intelligence and Diplomacy. Upon joining TechRadar Pro as a Staff Writer, Benedict transitioned his focus towards cybersecurity, exploring state-sponsored threat actors, malware, social engineering, and national security. Benedict is also an expert on B2B security products, including firewalls, antivirus, endpoint security, and password management.