Bipartisan bill seeks to block Chinese AI DeepSeek from US gov’t devices

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday aimed at banning the use of Chinese artificial intelligence program DeepSeek on government devices, citing concerns over national security and data privacy.

Representative Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, and Representative Darin LaHood, an Illinois Republican, spearheaded the bill, warning of “direct ties” between DeepSeek and the Chinese government.

The move follows a report from U.S. cybersecurity firm Feroot Security, which found that the AI model contains hidden code capable of transmitting user data to China Mobile, a state-owned telecommunications company.

“The Chinese Communist Party has made it abundantly clear that it will exploit any tool at its disposal to undermine our national security, spew harmful disinformation, and collect data on Americans,” Gottheimer said in a statement.

LaHood echoed those concerns, describing DeepSeek as a “CCP-affiliated company” and stating that “under no circumstances” should it be permitted to “obtain sensitive government or personal data.”

Deepseek under international scrutiny

DeepSeek, a product of a Chinese startup, has drawn international attention since its launch last month, offering a low-cost, high-quality chatbot that has disrupted the global AI landscape. The model’s rapid emergence has intensified competition with U.S. and other Western developers in the artificial intelligence sector.

The proposed ban in the United States aligns with similar actions taken abroad. South Korean ministries and police have restricted DeepSeek’s access to government computers after the company failed to respond to a regulatory inquiry on data management.

Australia has also banned the AI tool from all government devices based on recommendations from its security agencies, while officials in France and Italy have raised concerns about its data practices.

The legislation comes as Washington continues to scrutinize Chinese tech companies over security risks. Video-sharing platform TikTok is currently facing a separate U.S. law that orders its parent company, ByteDance, to divest ownership or face a nationwide ban.