Australia Prohibits DeepSeek on Government Devices Citing Security Concerns

The Australian government has mandated a ban on DeepSeek for all its devices, raising alarms over security vulnerabilities tied to the Chinese chatbot that recently gained global attention.

In a significant move, the Australian government has placed a ban on the usage of DeepSeek, the chatbot developed by the Chinese AI startup, across all government devices and systems. The decision stems from concerns over the security risks posed by the app, rather than its origins, assuming an agency standpoint on national security amid rising scrutiny of foreign tech.

DeepSeek captured international headlines earlier this year when it introduced its chatbot, demonstrating performance levels comparable to its US competitors while claiming to have achieved this at a substantially lower training cost. This revelation led to considerable losses in stock markets worldwide, particularly affecting stocks related to AI technologies in Australia, such as chipmaker Brainchip, which saw a notable dip.

The prohibition specifically mandates government entities to eliminate any prior installations of DeepSeek’s products and applications from their devices. This affects a wide array of governmental operations, including essential services from the Australia Electoral Commission to the Bureau of Meteorology. However, it remains unclear if this ban will extend to public sector applications in schools or other sectors outside of direct government operations.

The Australian government is not alone in expressing unease towards DeepSeek; various Western nations have historically shown skepticism toward Chinese technology firms, with notable references to Huawei and TikTok, both of which faced restrictions for similar security concerns. However, the initial receptions to DeepSeek appeared to trend differently, with figures like President Donald Trump acknowledging its potential as a "wake up call" regarding AI competitiveness.

Yet, caution has been voiced by officials, including Australia’s science minister, who echoed the need for vigilance regarding DeepSeek’s handling of user data. The app had previously been banned in Italy over privacy issues, while countries such as South Korea, Ireland, and France are conducting investigations into the data practices of DeepSeek, noting that user data may be stored on servers in China.

In response to the growing scrutiny, the White House has indicated that it plans to assess the security implications associated with DeepSeek, with reports suggesting that the US Navy has advised its personnel not to use DeepSeek, although confirmation is awaited.

As a reminder, AI applications like DeepSeek analyze user prompts to refine their services, collecting data such as email addresses and birth dates. Given this context, security experts stress the need for vigilance about the confidentiality of the data entered into these chatbots, particularly for individuals involved in sensitive or national security-related work.