Czech Officials Prohibit the Use of AI Chatbot Deepseek in Government Sector
In a move to bolster its cybersecurity, the Czech Republic has decided to ban the use of the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek in public institutions. The decision comes as part of a growing global concern over the chatbot's handling of user data and potential security risks.
The ban extends to all products and web services developed by DeepSeek. This follows similar actions taken by several other countries, including the United States, Italy, Germany, South Korea, Australia, Canada, and Taiwan.
In the United States, the U.S. National Security Council initiated a national security review of DeepSeek. The U.S. Navy instructed its members not to use DeepSeek due to "security and ethical concerns." The U.S. Department of Commerce prohibited DeepSeek on government devices, citing the risk of disclosing proprietary information. Additionally, lawmakers proposed the No Adversarial Al Act to ban DeepSeek on government devices.
Italy's data protection authority ordered DeepSeek to be blocked in the country after the chatbot failed to address privacy concerns. Italian authorities also banned DeepSeek from official app stores. Germany's Berlin Data Protection Commissioner deemed DeepSeek's data transfer practices unlawful under GDPR. The country has notified Apple and Google to remove DeepSeek as "illegal content" due to its alleged violation of data protection laws.
South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission opened an inquiry into DeepSeek's use of personal information. The country also suspended new downloads of DeepSeek due to risks of personal information misuse. Australia and Canada have also banned DeepSeek from government devices over security concerns. Taiwan's digital ministry advised government departments against using DeepSeek to prevent information security risks.
The concern is that sensitive data could be accessed by the Chinese government if stored and processed on servers in China. This has led to data privacy concerns in countries like Germany, where authorities and experts have raised similar concerns about DeepSeek.
The ban was announced by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala following a cabinet meeting in Prague. The Czech national authority for cyber and information security analysed the potential risks of using DeepSeek, leading to the decision to ban the chatbot in public institutions. The ban does not apply to private institutions or individuals in the Czech Republic.
A chatbot is a software application that uses artificial intelligence to engage in natural language conversations with humans. The ban in the Czech Republic and the global restrictions on DeepSeek highlight the need for transparency and accountability in the handling of user data, particularly when it comes to AI technology.
The ban on DeepSeek expands to all technology products and web services developed by the company, echoing similar bans in the United States, Italy, Germany, South Korea, Australia, Canada, and Taiwan. The concerns over DeepSeek's cybersecurity and potential data risks have led to its prohibition in public institutions across these countries, including the Czech Republic.
