US Legislators Aim to Prohibit DeepSeek AI on Federal Devices

US Congress members are pushing for a ban on China’s DeepSeek AI chatbot from government devices, citing national security risks.

In a bold step that’s got everyone talking, a duo from the US Congress is gearing up to introduce a bipartisan bill. Their goal? To kick China’s DeepSeek AI chatbot off government devices. Why the fuss? Well, security buffs are waving red flags about DeepSeek’s cozy ties to the Chinese government and its potential to mess with US AI stocks and national security. And get this—despite being the new kid on the block, DeepSeek’s already snagged the title of most downloaded app in the US. Talk about a meteoric rise.

Leading the charge are Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Darin LaHood (R-IL), big names on the House Select Committee on Intelligence. They’re calling their baby the ‘No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act.’ Sound familiar? That’s because it’s straight out of the TikTok playbook—remember when that got the boot from government phones in 2022? It’s like déjà vu, but with higher stakes.

Here’s where it gets juicy. Feroot Security dropped a bombshell report claiming DeepSeek’s code is basically a one-way ticket for user data straight to China Mobile, which, surprise surprise, is owned by the Chinese government. Ivan Tsarynny, a sharp-eyed analyst at Feroot, didn’t mince words, calling out the sheer audacity of this data grab and the glaring risks to privacy and national security.

Not waiting around, the US Navy and NASA have already shown DeepSeek the door on employee devices. Texas is the lone wolf state to follow suit. Across the pond, Italy, South Korea, and Australia aren’t taking chances either, slapping their own bans on the app. It’s a global cold shoulder.

LaHood isn’t beating around the bush, stressing the need to act fast against DeepSeek’s national security threats. With its CCP links, the fear is that DeepSeek’s AI could be a backdoor for snooping on sensitive data. Gottheimer’s on the same page, pushing for a deep dive into DeepSeek’s antics to keep government devices—and national security—out of harm’s way.