DeepSeek Gets Its First Strike Due to Privacy Concerns, Removed from Apple’s & Google’s App Stores—But Not in the U.S.
The concerns surrounding Chinese-developed apps have materialized for DeepSeek, which has been removed from both Apple’s and Google’s app stores in Italy following an inquiry by the country’s data privacy authority, Garante. This regulatory body revealed on Tuesday that it is investigating how the AI startup processes personal data. According to reports, DeepSeek and its associated entities have received a 20-day window to provide information on whether they comply with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) requirements. At present, DeepSeek remains available in the United States, where it also sits atop the free app chart on Apple’s App Store.
One crucial detail remains unclear: whether the removal from Italian app stores was directly executed by Apple or Google in response to Garante’s actions, or if DeepSeek itself opted to withdraw the application. This underscores the level of wariness among Western regulators over apps with Chinese affiliations, particularly those involving the handling of user data at high volumes. Indeed, even the U.S. has initiated a national security review of the DeepSeek platform, as confirmed by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, further suggesting that authorities are watching the AI’s sudden popularity and influence with caution.
A new report from 9to5Mac notes that Ireland is among the countries seeking additional information from DeepSeek, since GDPR rules apply across all 27 EU member states. Should DeepSeek fail to provide satisfactory answers on data handling and other privacy practices, the app could face broader removals across the European Union. Meanwhile, Microsoft recently revealed that it is examining whether DeepSeek’s R1 AI model might have been trained on OpenAI’s data outputs without proper authorization—an issue that could lead to additional scrutiny of the startup’s operations. Nonetheless, Microsoft also announced plans to bring an NPU-optimized version of DeepSeek to Copilot+ Windows 11 PCs in the near future, signaling that industry leaders remain intrigued by DeepSeek’s technology despite rising privacy and security concerns.
How do you see this removal impacting DeepSeek’s standing in the EU market? Do you anticipate that ongoing investigations and potential data compliance challenges will tarnish its reputation, or will the AI startup quickly address these issues and continue expanding? Share your thoughts below.
