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Lawmakers Propose Ban on DeepSeek for Government Devices

U.S. lawmakers are set to introduce a bill Thursday to ban the DeepSeek chatbot from government-owned devices, citing national security concerns over potential data- sharing with the Chinese government, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Bipartisan Effort to Restrict DeepSeek

The bill, drafted by Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ)—leaders of the House Select Committee on Intelligence—closely mirrors the TikTok ban passed in April 2024. That law, which took effect on January 19, 2025, initially required TikTok to find a U.S. buyer, a deadline President Donald Trump extended by 75 days.

  • “Under no circumstances can we allow a CCP [Chinese Communist Party] company to obtain sensitive government or personal data,” said LaHood.

  • “This should be a no-brainer,” Gottheimer added, emphasizing the urgency of restricting DeepSeek’s access to U.S. government networks.

Security Risks and Government Response

According to Ivan Tsarynny, CEO of cybersecurity firm Feroot Security, DeepSeek contains embedded code that transmits user login data to China Mobile, a Chinese state-owned telecommunications company that is banned in the U.S.

  • “Our personal information is being sent to China,” Tsarynny warned. “There is no denial—DeepSeek is collecting everything American users connect to it.”

Several U.S. federal agencies, including the Navy and NASA, have already blocked DeepSeek over these concerns. The U.S. joins a growing list of countries imposing restrictions:
Australia banned DeepSeek from government devices on Tuesday.
South Korea’s defense ministry prohibited its use on military computers Thursday.
Italy implemented a nationwide ban in January.

Parallels to the TikTok Ban

Congress first restricted TikTok from government devices in 2022, fearing the Chinese government could exploit the app for data collection. Although TikTok has denied sharing U.S. user data with China, lawmakers remain cautious of Chinese tech companies handling sensitive American information.

DeepSeek did not respond to The Wall Street Journal’s request for comment.

Despite mounting security concerns, DeepSeek is now the most downloaded app in the U.S., reflecting its rapid adoption despite the push for government restrictions.