Italy Blocks DeepSeek: The Chinese Chatbot Is Facing Its First Big Challenge in Europe

  • The Italian Data Protection Authority has issued an injunction against the company.

  • In response, DeepSeek claims that it doesn’t “operate in Italy, and that European legislation does not apply” to its activities.

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Javier Márquez

Writer
javier-marquez

Javier Márquez

Writer

I've been in media for over a decade, but I've been much longer marveling at the possibilities that technology brings us. I believe we live in a world where the digital revolution is changing everything, and I find no better palce that Xataka to write about it. LinkedIn

138 publications by Javier Márquez

Despite its technological achievements, DeepSeek is facing some challenges. The AI company is receiving widespread praise, but it’s also raising concerns about privacy and security. On Thursday, Italy announced plans to block the web version of the Chinese chatbot, marking the first significant reaction to these concerns.

The Italian Data Protection Authority (GPDP) has ordered that Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd. and Beijing DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd. limit how they handle the data of Italian users. These two companies are responsible for the increasingly popular app, which has gained traction since its launch.

DeepSeek Faces Scrutiny from European Regulators

GPDP recently issued a press release titled “Artificial Intelligence: The Italian Data Protection Authority Blocks DeepSeek.” In it, the Italian regulator highlights that millions of users have downloaded the AI chatbot in recent days. Now, the agency wants to protect Italian users from the app’s data collection.

The news follows an inquiry from GPDP, which requested detailed information from the companies regarding the online version of their flagship product. Specifically, the Italian regulator wanted to know what personal data is collected, the sources of this data, the purposes for which it’s used, the legal basis for the data processing, and whether the data is stored on servers located in China.

DeepSeek’s privacy policy outlines the company’s significant data collection, much of which is used to train language models. The policy states that this data is stored in data centers located in China. GPDP appears to be seeking an official statement on this matter.

GPDP and DeepSeek logo

Notably, the companies behind DeepSeek responded quickly, but the Italian regulator deemed their information “completely insufficient.” GPDP added, “Contrary to the authority’s findings, the companies declared that they do not operate in Italy, and that European legislation does not apply to them.” Following the announcement of the ban, the agency has also initiated a formal investigation into DeepSeek.

At this point, it’s unclear how the ban will be implemented. In 2023, when the Italian regulator decided to block ChatGPT, OpenAI voluntarily withdrew its product while addressing the raised concerns. Given DeepSeek’s claim of not operating in Italy, it seems unlikely that the company will restrict its services, which remain accessible.

Companies providing services within the European Union must adhere to several regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation, to avoid penalties. It remains to be seen whether other members of the European Data Protection Committee will take similar action. The Irish Data Protection Commission has already done so.

Additionally, DeepSeek was reportedly involved in a security incident. The cybersecurity company Wiz pointed out that the popular chatbot’s web version exposed user conversations, among other data. However, DeepSeek also offers models that can be run locally without an Internet connection, and these models have received very positive feedback for their performance.

Image | Ivan Oštrić | GPDP | DeepSeek

Related | Downloading and Installing DeepSeek on Your Computer: How to Use It Locally on Windows, macOS, and Linux

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