Deepseek disappeared from the App Store and Google Play in Italy – before that the authorities decided to find out how the service processes personal data

The Chinese DEPSeek Laboratory, which has gained popularity due to the release of revolutionary artificial intelligence models, offering opportunities similar to American, but at more modest training costs, attracted the attention of Italian authorities – they are concerned about the “possible threat to these millions of people” in the country. The DeepSeek application has already disappeared from the Italian sections of the App Store and Google Play.

Image source: Solen Feyissa / unsplash.com

The DEPSEEK application has become the most popular on the Apple App Store platform, and the Italian data protection department (Garante) turned to the Chinese company with a request to provide information about the chatbot, which could pose a threat to the confidentiality of the country’s residents. The supervisory authority is responsible for the application of the norms of the “General Regulation on Data Protection” (GDPR) in Italy.

Garante reported that she contacted Deepseek’s offices in Hangzhou and Beijing and requested information about what personal data the chatbot is collected with AI. The department asked what the purpose of data collection and whether they were stored on servers physically located in China. The “Privacy Policy” DeepSeek really indicates that the service transfers personal data related to the country of residence of the user and stores them “on protected servers located in the People’s Republic of China”. However, it is noted that “this will be done in accordance with the requirements of applicable laws on data protection.”

The Italian regulator also requested what data is used to teach the DEPSEEK artificial intelligence system. If web pages are scanned, then how registered and unregistered users are informed about the processing of personal data. Deepseek gave 20 days to Garante. The investigation against the Chinese laboratory is already conducted by Microsoft and Openai; The American authorities began to study the issue.

It is curious that a few hours after the Garante requested information about the processing of personal data from Deepseek, the application disappeared from the Italian sections of the Apple App Store and Google Play stores. Apple and Google did not follow official comments on this issue.