DeepSeek Data Privacy Concerns Prompt Germany to Urge App Store Ban

DeepSeek data privacy concerns have intensified in Europe, with Germany’s data protection chief formally requesting Apple and Google to remove the Chinese AI startup’s app from their German stores due to illegal personal data transfers.

Germany’s data protection commissioner Meike Kamp announced on Friday that she has asked Apple and Google to remove DeepSeek from their German app stores, citing serious DeepSeek data privacy concerns. According to Kamp, the Chinese AI firm illegally transfers personal user data to China, violating EU standards.

Kamp noted that Apple and Google must promptly review the request and determine whether to block DeepSeek in Germany, though no fixed deadline was given. Google confirmed it received the notice and is reviewing the matter. Apple has yet to respond, while DeepSeek did not comment.

DeepSeek’s Data Practices Raise Red Flags

As detailed in its privacy policy, DeepSeek stores vast amounts of personal information—including AI queries and uploaded files—on servers located in China. “DeepSeek has failed to provide my agency with credible proof that German users’ data is safeguarded in China at a level equal to protections within the European Union,” Kamp said. She stressed that Chinese authorities have sweeping access rights to personal data held by companies under their jurisdiction.

Germany’s commissioner explained that her office decided to act after previously urging DeepSeek in May to meet EU requirements for non-EU data transfers or voluntarily withdraw its app—requests DeepSeek ignored.

DeepSeek grabbed global tech headlines in January by claiming it had built an AI model that could compete with those from American giants like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, but at a fraction of the cost. However, it now faces rising scrutiny across the U.S. and Europe over data security. Italy banned the app from its stores earlier this year for lacking clarity on personal data use, while the Netherlands barred it on government devices. Belgium has advised officials against using DeepSeek, and Spain’s consumer rights body urged an investigation into the risks, though no ban exists there yet.

In the UK, the technology ministry stated that using DeepSeek remains a personal choice, but it continues to monitor for national security risks tied to citizens’ data. Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers are drafting legislation to ban federal agencies from using any AI developed in China, underscoring the broad geopolitical and data privacy concerns surrounding Chinese tech.