On Wednesday, January 29th, in Italy, the Chinese artificial intelligence application DeepSeek has been blocked and is inaccessible in the Apple and Google app stores. The Irish Data Protection Commission has also requested information from DeepSeek regarding the processing of data of Irish users.
According to Reuters, a notification shown to Italian customers on the Apple App Store stated that the application is currently “unavailable in your country or region.” A message on the Google Play platform mentioned that Italy does not support downloads of DeepSeek.
Last week, DeepSeek launched a free AI assistant. This Monday, due to its low cost, DeepSeek’s downloads on the Apple Store in Italy surpassed its American competitor ChatGPT, triggering a sell-off in tech stocks.
On Tuesday, the Italian data protection authority requested information from DeepSeek regarding the usage of personal data.
ANSA reported that Pasquale Stanzione, head of the Italian data regulatory agency, stated that it is unclear whether the decision to remove the app was based on the regulator’s request, as this news had just recently emerged.
Stanzione added, “Our office will conduct a thorough investigation to see if DeepSeek has complied with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules.”
The Italian regulatory agency Garante stated on Tuesday that they want to know what personal data DeepSeek collects, where it is sourced from, for what purposes it is collected, on what legal basis the data is processed, and whether the data is stored in China, among other information. They have given DeepSeek and its affiliates 20 days to respond.
Stanzione also mentioned that the regulatory agency is seeking ways to protect underage users of the app, prevent the spread of bias, and avoid election interference.
Garante from Italy is one of the most active supervisory authorities for the use of artificial intelligence in Europe.
The Irish Data Protection Commission serves as the primary EU regulatory authority for most top American internet companies, given that these companies’ EU operations are based in Ireland. However, DeepSeek did not designate Ireland as its EU headquarters.
In a statement, the Irish regulatory agency stated, “The Data Protection Commission (DPC) has written to DeepSeek requesting information about the data processing of data subjects in Ireland.”
On Wednesday, DeepSeek remains available for download and use in other EU countries and the UK.
A spokesperson for the German Interior Ministry mentioned that the government is monitoring artificial intelligence applications to prevent potential interference before the national election on February 23rd.
This is the latest development in the ongoing scrutiny and regulation of DeepSeek in Europe, raising concerns about data privacy and compliance with GDPR regulations.