U.S. lawmakers are taking swift action to ban DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot application, from all government devices. Unlike previous concerns over TikTok, which primarily focused on social media influence and potential indirect data sharing, the threat posed by DeepSeek is far more severe. According to lawmakers and cybersecurity experts, DeepSeek operates as a direct tool for espionage, designed to siphon off sensitive user data and transmit it to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The bipartisan effort to ban the application is being led by Representatives Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), who introduced the “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act.” This legislation aims to prohibit the use of DeepSeek on any federal technology and mandates the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop guidelines within 60 days for its complete removal.
“The technology race with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is not one the United States can afford to lose,” LaHood stated. “The national security threat that DeepSeek — a CCP-affiliated company — poses to the United States is alarming. Unlike TikTok, which is a social media platform with indirect data security concerns, DeepSeek is an AI tool actively pulling sensitive government and personal information in real-time.”
Hidden Code and Espionage Concerns
Concerns over DeepSeek reached a breaking point when a detailed cybersecurity analysis conducted by Feroot Security exposed hidden code within the app. This code, according to Feroot CEO Ivan Tsarynny, can capture user login information and transmit it directly to China Mobile, a state-owned telecommunications company that has already been banned from operating in the United States due to national security concerns.
“Our personal information is being sent to China, there is no denial, and the DeepSeek tool is collecting everything that American users connect to it,” Tsarynny warned. He further explained that DeepSeek is not just another Chinese app but a highly sophisticated espionage tool disguised as an AI chatbot.
“It’s mind-boggling that we are unknowingly allowing China to survey Americans, and we’re doing nothing about it,” he added. “It’s hard to believe that something like this was accidental. There are so many unusual things to this. You know that saying, ‘Where there’s smoke, there’s fire’? In this instance, there’s a lot of smoke.”
The alarming nature of these findings spurred immediate action from lawmakers. “Under no circumstances can we allow a CCP company to obtain sensitive government or personal data,” Gottheimer emphasized. “This is not just about banning an app; this is about protecting our national security.”
International and State-Level Crackdowns
The United States is not alone in its concerns. Australia, South Korea, and Italy have already taken steps to ban DeepSeek from government systems, citing nearly identical concerns over data security and national sovereignty. Within the U.S., some of the most critical government agencies, including NASA and the U.S. Navy, have moved swiftly to block access to the application on their networks.
Texas was the first state to impose a statewide ban, with Governor Greg Abbott issuing an executive order prohibiting all AI and social media applications affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party on government-issued devices. Abbott made clear that this was not simply about data privacy but about national defense. “The CCP has made it abundantly clear that it will exploit any tool at its disposal to undermine our national security, spew harmful disinformation, and collect data on Americans,” he said.
“The fact that this was hidden in the code tells you everything you need to know,” Abbott continued. “This is a five-alarm national security fire, and we cannot afford to let our guard down.”
DeepSeek’s Disruptive Impact
Founded in 2023, DeepSeek burst onto the scene with a powerful AI model that rivaled American competitors at a fraction of the cost. Its rapid rise to the top of the iOS download charts sent shockwaves through the technology sector. Reports that DeepSeek’s technology could outperform U.S.-based AI companies led to a historic $600 billion decline in the stock value of AI hardware supplier Nvidia.
Despite the app’s popularity, experts caution that its appeal is a Trojan horse. “Even though we all know DeepSeek is a Chinese organization, what is really, really standing out is now we see direct links to servers and to companies in China that are under control of the Chinese government,” Tsarynny warned. “And this is something that we have never seen in the past.”
Unlike TikTok, which functions as an entertainment platform, DeepSeek is a highly advanced AI chatbot capable of interacting with users on a deeper, more personal level. This makes it an even more dangerous tool for data collection and manipulation. “TikTok was a concern, but it was nothing like this,” Gottheimer noted. “TikTok was about influence; DeepSeek is about infiltration.”
The proposed legislation is expected to move quickly through Congress due to its bipartisan support and the gravity of the security concerns. The outcome of this bill could set a precedent for how the U.S. handles foreign technology in the future.
“The CCP has played this game before, and we cannot allow them to win,” LaHood said. “It is critical that Congress safeguard Americans’ data and ensure American leadership in AI.”
