Australia has moved to ban DeepSeek on all government devices, citing national security concerns.
The directive from the Department of Home Affairs on Tuesday orders the immediate removal of DeepSeek’s software, apps and web services from government systems.
Tony Burke, Minister for Home Affairs, was blunt, calling DeepSeek an “unacceptable risk” to government technology.
He said the ban is necessary to protect Australia’s national security and broader interests. But it doesn’t apply to private individuals, who are still free to use the AI tool.
Australia is not alone in raising concerns about DeepSeek. Italy’s data privacy watchdog recently blocked the AI platform after the Chinese company behind it failed to address concerns about its data policies.
Taiwan has also flagged risks of cross border data transmission and leakage of sensitive information. South Korea, Ireland and France have launched their own investigations into how DeepSeek handles user data.
DeepSeek has been making waves globally since the launch of its open-source AI platform which showed human-like reasoning.
In January it became the most downloaded free app on the Apple Store surpassing OpenAI’s ChatGPT. This was a huge shock to the tech industry and the financial markets.
The impact was huge for Nvidia, the chip maker that powers DeepSeek’s AI.
After DeepSeek’s popularity surged, Nvidia’s stock value dropped by $500 billion as investors reacted to the competitive threat posed by the Chinese developed platform.
Even in the US, DeepSeek hasn’t gone unnoticed.
President Donald Trump said China’s AI advancements were a “wake up call” for American tech companies. He urged US companies to innovate and compete to remain ahead in the global AI race.
His administration is watching closely. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt recently confirmed the US government is reviewing the national security risks posed by DeepSeek, so more countries may follow Australia’s lead in scrutinising the AI platform.
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