House Bill Proposes Ban on Using DeepSeek on Government-Issued Devices

DeepSeek is the latest Chinese app coming under fire from US lawmakers.

Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) on Thursday introduced a bill that aims to ban the use of DeepSeek on government-issued devices. The duo cited a study conducted by Feroot Security, which found direct links between the app and Chinese government-owned China Mobile, as the reason for the ban.

“We have deeply disturbing evidence that [the Chinese Communist Party is] using DeepSeek to steal the sensitive data of US citizens. This is a five-alarm national security fire,” says Gottheimer.

DeepSeek’s AI model gained popularity after the release of its R1 model last month, which is built on a modest budget but delivers performance that matches most rivals. 

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, an independent analysis conducted by Feroot Security found that the Chinese AI company had hidden the code that transfers users’ login information to China Mobile—a company banned by the FCC from operating in the US.

“We see direct links to servers and to companies in China that are under [the] control of the Chinese government. And this is something that we have never seen in the past,” Ivan Tsarynny, CEO of Feroot Security, tells ABC.

The study prompted lawmakers to propose the “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act.”

“Under no circumstances can we allow a CCP company to obtain sensitive government or personal data,” Rep. LaHood says. “This commonsense, bipartisan piece of legislation will ban the app from federal workers’ phones while closing backdoor operations the company seeks to exploit for access.”

The lawmakers’ call for a ban on DeepSeek mirrors a ban on TikTok for government devices passed in 2023.

DeepSeek has already been banned on government devices in Texas (along with Lemon8 and RedNote) and by the US Navy and NASA, citing security concerns. Several foreign governments, including Australia, Italy, South Korea, and Taiwan, have also imposed restrictions on the use of the Chinese app.

About Jibin Joseph

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Jibin is a tech news writer based out of Ahmedabad, India. Previously, he served as the editor of iGeeksBlog and is a self-proclaimed tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex information for a broader audience.

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