Taiwan has banned its government agencies from using DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup.
The Ministry of Digital Affairs of Taiwan has announced that “all government agencies and critical infrastructure should refrain from using DeepSeek, citing threats to national information security.”
In a statement, the ministry further stated that “DeepSeek AI service is a Chinese product. Its operation involves cross-border data transmission and poses risks of information leakage and other security concerns.”
Recently, DeepSeek has launched its R1 chatbot, claiming that it matches the capabilities of leading artificial intelligence systems in the United States, but at half of the cost.
Taiwan has long accused China of employing “grey zone” tactics and actions that do not reach the threshold of war against the island, including cyberattacks, as Beijing continues to assert its claims of sovereignty over Taiwan.
Since 2019, Taiwan has barred government agencies from using information and communication technology products and services that threaten national security.
The data protection authorities in South Korea and Ireland are restricted; this coincides with inquiries seeking clarification from DeepSeek on how it manages users’ personal information.
With South Korea and Ireland, several other countries, including France, Australia, and Italy, have expressed their concerns regarding the data practices of the Chinese AI startup DeepSeek.
However, recently this week, Italy has also started an investigation into the R1 model and prohibited it from processing data from Italian users. It has removed DeepSeek AI from the Apple Store and Google Play Store.
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