After Italy, the United States and Taiwan, China’s DeepSeek is facing another setback. This time, Australia has banned the platform from all government devices. The Australian government cited “national security concerns” as the primary reason for the decision. According to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, DeepSeek poses an unacceptable threat to government technology and data, prompting the immediate ban to safeguard national security and the country’s interests.
The Secretary of the Home Affairs Department issued a detailed directive on January 4, according to a report by Reuters. The order mandates the removal of DeepSeek from all government devices and systems. Interestingly, the directive cites security assessments as the reason for the ban, rather than the chatbot’s connection to a Chinese-owned company.
Speaking of details, government employees and departments are forbidden from using, downloading, or installing DeepSeek products, applications, or web services on government systems or devices. Additionally, any DeepSeek software or services already installed on government devices or systems must be identified and completely removed.
Notably, this restriction applies strictly to government systems and devices, but It does not affect private citizens, meaning individuals in Australia can still use DeepSeek on their personal devices if they want to.
In January, the Hangzhou-based startup, DeepSeek launched a new open-source AI platform that is capable of mimicking human reasoning. The platform has attracted significant attention and mixed reactions globally. Some people are amazed by its potential, while others are concerned about its capabilities.
So far, the company released mainly two models, called ‘DeepSeek-V3’ and ‘DeepSeek-R1.’ The interesting part is that its DeepSeek-R1 model is said to be 20 to 50 times more cost-efficient than similar offerings from industry giants.
However, things are not as smooth for DeepSeek as they seem. Several countries, including South Korea, Ireland, France, and Italy, have raised concerns about the Chinese AI startup’s data practices. Some regulators from these countries have sent notices to DeepSeek, requesting more clarity on its data privacy policies.
To be precise, some of these countries want detailed information regarding the type of personal data the Chinese AI company is collecting from its users. Additionally, regulators want to know the source of the data collection, its purpose, and, most importantly, whether the company is storing the data in China or outside the country.
