US mulling ban on Chinese app DeepSeek from government devices

The Trump administration is reportedly considering a ban on the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek from U.S. government devices over national-security concerns, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Officials are said to be worried about DeepSeek’s handling of user data, which the company claims is stored on servers in China.

In addition to a ban on government devices, administration officials are also weighing measures to restrict the chatbot’s availability in app stores and to limit how U.S.-based cloud service providers offer DeepSeek’s AI models to their customers. These discussions are reportedly in the early stages, according to the Wall Street Journal.

DeepSeek’s low-cost AI models sparked a significant sell-off in global equity markets in January, as investors grew concerned that the new entrant could disrupt the current balance among leading AI providers. This has added further impetus to the government’s considerations.

A group of 21 state attorneys general recently urged Congress to pass a bill that would bar government devices from downloading and using DeepSeek software. The White House has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.

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