News Summary

DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence startup, has rapidly gained popularity, topping both the Apple and Play stores. However, significant concerns over data security have led to widespread blocking of the service by hundreds of companies and governmental bodies. Notably, U.S. cloud providers like Microsoft offer DeepSeek on their platforms, yet governmental agencies, including the Pentagon and the Navy, have banned it due to fears of potential data leakage to the Chinese government. The startup’s privacy policy states that user data is stored in China, where local laws require data sharing with intelligence agencies upon request. This has raised alarms among cybersecurity firms and regulatory agencies worldwide. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has requested information to ensure compliance with EU privacy regulations, and various European and UK government agencies are reviewing the app’s privacy policies.