DeepSeek gets removed from Apple and Google app stores in Italy amid GDPR and privacy probe

DeepSeek recently made headlines for a lot of reasons ever since its reasoning model, the DeepSeek R1, came out. The Chinese AI company resulted in a historic wipeout of U.S. stocks, while also climbing the charts on the Apple App Store in the U.S. to number 1. Many countries were concerned that the users' data was going to China which could have privacy and national security-related consequences. As a result, DeepSeek is no longer available to download in Italy.

The Italian data protection authority, known as the Garante, is currently looking into how DeepSeek collects and uses personal information. The Garante wants to know what kind of data the app gathers, where this data comes from, and how it is stored. Perhaps the main question for them is whether the user data is kept in China, which raises privacy issues for many users.

Pasquale Stanzione, President of Garante, told Italian news agency ANSA that he doesn't know what may have caused the removal of DeepSeek from the app stores.

"We have asked for information. Now the company has 20 days to respond: when it responds our offices will start an in-depth investigation to see if there is compliance with the GDPR".

The Garante has given DeepSeek 20 days to respond to these questions and provide more information about its operations in the EU region. The investigation is also to ensure that the app follows the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) guidelines.

Italy isn't the only country that is investigating DeepSeek's privacy issues. The Irish Data Protection Commission has also asked DeepSeek for details regarding how it is processing the data of the citizens of Ireland. The U.S. is also currently investigating whether DeepSeek trained its AI models by stealing U.S. companies' proprietary data.

Although DeepSeek isn't available for download to new users, those who have already downloaded the app on their devices can still use it. DeepSeek is still available to download in the rest of Europe and the U.K.

Source: Reuters | Image: DepositPhotos

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post.

Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+

RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend