New York State Bans DeepSeek On Government Devices Over Privacy, Surveillance Concerns

New York State has issued a ban on the Chinese-developed artificial intelligence assistant, DeepSeek, from being used on state government devices.

Governor Kathy Hochul made the announcement on Monday, confirming the statewide prohibition on the DeepSeek AI application from being downloaded onto government-managed devices and networks.

"Public safety is my top priority and we're working aggressively to protect New Yorkers from foreign and domestic threats," Governor Hochul said. "New York will continue fighting to combat cyber threats, ensure the privacy and safety of our data, and safeguard against state-sponsored censorship."

The latest order follows the Legislative Oversight of Automated Decision-making in Government Act (LOADinG Act), which Governor Hochul signed into law in December. The act laid the groundwork for responsible AI use within state government and highlighted its potential to improve services while ensuring safeguards around privacy and security.

Links To China Raise National Security Concerns

The DeepSeek AI app, developed by a Chinese startup called High-Flyer, has raised concerns regarding its connection to Chinese government surveillance and censorship practices. There are growing fears that the AI could be used to collect sensitive user data and potentially steal technological secrets, given the app's link to China.

DeepSeek, which launched its R1 AI model last month, quickly made waves by climbing to the top of the Apple App Store, surpassing OpenAI's ChatGPT in downloads. The app's rapid rise in popularity raised concerns within the tech industry and caused a sharp drop in tech stocks, particularly as tensions between the U.S. and China over AI dominance escalated.

The security concerns surrounding DeepSeek stem from Chinese laws that mandate companies to cooperate with government intelligence operations. It raises alarms about the possibility of Chinese authorities accessing private user data without consent. In contrast, the U.S. has a legal system that demands a court order or warrant for government agencies to access private data held by American companies, reported NBC news.

The debate around DeepSeek echoes similar concerns about other Chinese-owned tech platforms, including the social media app TikTok, which has been embroiled in national security concerns in the U.S.

Last week, a bipartisan legislation was introduced in Congress to prohibit DeepSeek on federal government devices. When introducing the bill, Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) argued that the app is a threat to user privacy and jeopardizes sensitive government data.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has, meanwhile, dismissed the fears as overblown. The Chinese government maintains that it does not involve itself in the affairs of private companies and that the app poses no greater national security risk than other social media platforms.

"The Chinese government attaches great importance to and legally protects data privacy and security," ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated during a regular briefing in Beijing last week. "It has never and will never require companies or individuals to collect or store data in violation of the law."