DeepSeek Faces Increased Scrutiny from European Regulators

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – DeepSeek may face additional actions from national regulators in the future, Europe’s privacy watchdog indicated on Tuesday, highlighting ongoing concerns about the rise of the inexpensive Chinese artificial intelligence startup.

During a monthly meeting, national privacy regulators discussed DeepSeek after Italy blocked the chatbot due to insufficient information regarding its handling of personal data. Regulators in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and other countries also raised questions regarding DeepSeek’s data collection practices.

A spokesperson for the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) stated via email, “Several DPAs (data protection authorities) have already started actions vis-a-vis DeepSeek and there may be further actions in the future.”

Concerns surrounding DeepSeek prompted the EDPB to expand the focus of a taskforce initially created in April 2023, originally centered on Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT, to enhance cooperation and information exchange regarding AI enforcement.

Furthermore, EDPB members stressed the necessity for coordinating DPAs’ actions on urgent, sensitive matters by establishing a quick response team.

Europe remains at the forefront of safeguarding its citizens’ privacy rights, with its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), effective since 2018, being the most stringent privacy law worldwide.