Frankfurt: DeepSeek expulsion in Germany has entered the spotlight as Germany’s data protection commissioner has asked Apple and Google to remove the Chinese AI startup from their app stores.
The commissioner, Meike Kamp, has said that DeepSeek illegally transfers German users’ personal data to China without adequate safeguards matching EU standards. Apple and Google now must assess this request and decide whether to block DeepSeek’s app in Germany. DeepSeek has not provided any comment on the matter. Apple and Google have also not responded.
DeepSeek’s privacy policy confirms it stores user data, including AI requests and uploaded files, on Chinese servers. Kamp stated that, “DeepSeek has not been able to provide my agency with convincing evidence that German users’ data is protected in China to a level equivalent to that in the European Union.”
“Chinese authorities have far-reaching access rights to personal data within the sphere of influence of Chinese companies,” Kamp added.
In May, Kamp’s office asked DeepSeek to comply with non-EU data transfer laws or withdraw voluntarily. The company did not comply, prompting this formal removal request.
DeepSeek has made headlines in January by claiming it built an AI model that could compete with US. companies like OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, but at a significantly lower cost.
DeepSeek expulsion Germany has also become part of a wider trend. Italy blocked DeepSeek earlier this year due to privacy issues, and the Netherlands has banned it on government devices. US lawmakers plan to restrict Chinese-developed AI in government use.
DeepSeek expulsion Germany shows how European regulators are tightening controls on foreign AI apps that handle sensitive personal data.
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