Germany’s regulator has demanded that Apple and Google remove DeepSeek from app stores in the country.
Berlin’s Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, Meike Kamp, stated that the AI startup failed to provide “convincing evidence” of user data protection in compliance with EU laws.
“Chinese authorities have extensive rights to access personal data within the sphere of influence of national companies,” claims Kamp.
Her office requested DeepSeek to comply with EU data transfer laws or remove the app from the country, but the startup did not comply.
According to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, companies are prohibited from sending data outside the bloc unless special precautions are in place in the destination countries.
Kamp is concerned that Chinese authorities might gain access to German users’ information.
It remains uncertain whether Google and Apple will comply with the demands.
If Germany’s case progresses, the Chinese company’s app could be banned across the entire EU, believes Matt Holman, an artificial intelligence and data specialist at Cripps.
“Of course, it’s possible this incident could lead to a ban across the entire EU, because the rules applied in Germany are the same as in other union countries, as well as in the UK,” he noted.
However, this move would require consensus among the bloc’s regulators. If Apple and Google remove DeepSeek from their app stores, it would effectively amount to a ban across the EU, said Holman.
“The consequences for DeepSeek could be, unsurprisingly, quite severe. Access to German citizens’ data will be restricted. This could soon extend to the rest of the EU if other national regulators follow suit — meaning the EU markets and possibly the UK will be closed if Apple and Google disable the app,” Holman added.
Earlier, Italy and several other countries and agencies banned the firm’s AI products from app stores in the country, citing similar data protection issues.