For those who are praising DeepSeek, the Chinese business that says it has created an AI model comparable to that of American tech companies at a fraction of the price, more outspoken members of the national security community have a message: calm down. Additionally, avoid using the app if you work in security or government.
DeepSeek, a Chinese company based in Hangzhou, collects user information on secure servers in the People’s Republic of China. However, security researchers have noted that DeepSeek sends personal user data back to China, where the government has broad authority to review such data. This has raised concerns about the company’s security, as cybersecurity expert Chris Herndon noted it could be the new TikTok.
The social networking app, which was created by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, has come under fire for its connections to China, user monitoring, and potential for use as a Chinese propaganda tool. In order to avoid being banned, it must now find an American buyer.
Deepseek, an AI model, is raising concerns due to its data practices, according to Rob Lee, research chief at SANS Institute. While there is no evidence of Deepseek sharing data with the Chinese government or intelligence agencies, users have less control over their data, including ensuring personal work is deleted and understanding account deletion.
Additionally, there is the risk of leaks. Wiz, a cybersecurity firm, revealed on Wednesday that a database that included user logs, DeepSeek chat histories, and keys to possibly access accounts had been left accessible online.
DeepSeek, a Chinese model, has been criticized for its content, which often doesn’t answer questions on topics censored by the Chinese government, and for being turned “evil” by cybersecurity researchers who convinced it to produce malware for stealing credit card data.
The U.S. Navy has banned staff from using DeepSeek, and the White House is investigating its implications for national security. Former Army intelligence officer Hank Thomas warns that the Pentagon may block staff use of the app, as people with security clearances may download the app naively, unaware of the ramifications it can have in the background.
Senator Ron Wyden said in a Forbes interview that the current approach of prohibiting well-known Chinese tech apps in the name of safety and American leadership is ineffective.
The secret has already been revealed. Since DeepSeek’s model is open source, it would be impossible to enforce any sort of prohibition. Hundreds of fresh variants have already been made by users on the Hugging Face model repository site in the past few days.
According to Wyden, “Users and researchers can easily share, download, and run the model at low cost, even if the app is booted from the app stores under the TikTok law.” “This genie cannot be put back in the bottle.”
In order to enable researchers and the general public to examine AI models, he asked the Trump administration to support more open sourcing among American businesses. OpenAI and Anthropic models are not open source; however, Meta’s Llama is. China has successfully benefited from open-source ideas through DeepSeek. America ought to expand on that notion,” Wyden continued.
