India's finance ministry has banned the use of DeepSeek AI chatbot by its employees. Governments across the globe are joining this wave to ban DeepSeek. 

DeepSeek is a response to ChatGPT from China that quickly received international attention, but now has been placed at the center of regulatory scrutiny. Several countries are limiting or banning its use based on security and privacy concerns.

Why are governments banning DeepSeek?

DeepSeek has caused a stir in the AI market, but its rapid boom has also been raising worries in several governments. As its viral AI chatbot gained a lot of attention, regulators started to scrutinize the possible risks of the startup, which led India's finance ministry to be the latest one to restrain its use along with several other countries, which have either banned it entirely or partially.

Read: Finance Ministry issues advisory against using AI tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek

Which countries have banned DeepSeek AI?

The world has taken action, following the lead and restricting the application of DeepSeek, especially by the government offices. Here's a list of some of those countries that restricted the reach of the AI chatbot:

Italy: The country leading the banning process

Italy was the first country globally to ban DeepSeek AI last month. After the Italian DPA had opened an inquiry and requested information from the Chinese startup about how it manages user data, a ban was imposed on DeepSeek. 

This came after Euroconsumers, a consumer coalition group, lodged a complaint against the chatbot. Despite DeepSeek having been granted 20 days to reply, the ban was enacted only a few days later. As a result, the app was withdrawn from Italy's app stores.

Taiwan:

While Taiwan hasn't banned private citizens from using DeepSeek, it has placed very strict regulations on its use within the public sector. The country's government has prohibited the AI chatbot in public schools, state-owned enterprises, and critical infrastructure. 

Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs expressed concerns over the risks of cross-border data transmission and potential information leaks, particularly given the ongoing territorial dispute with China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory.

Australia: 

Australia has joined the growing list of countries restricting DeepSeek, with the government announcing a ban on the AI chatbot’s use by government employees. Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke cited national intelligence assessments that identified the platform as an unacceptable security risk. 

The ban removes all DeepSeek products and services from Australian government infrastructure. While the ban doesn't affect personal devices, Burke urged Australians to be vigilant in protecting their online data and working towards the security of digital privacy.

Read: Indian graduates can now work and live in Australia without employer sponsorship