The Chinese AI innovator, DeepSeek has sparked widespread interest, but recent concerns from data protection watchdogs have cast shadows over its operations. Euroconsumers, a European consumer group coalition, in partnership with the Italian Data Protection Authority (DPA), have lodged a complaint around DeepSeek’s questionable handling of personal information in the context of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
“The data of millions of Italians is at risk,” warned the Italian DPA, marking the first such move since DeepSeek’s recent popularity surge. DeepSeek, operating mainly from China, is now under 20 days to respond to the Italian DPA’s request for more details. Notably, DeepSeek’s data collection, storage, and its transfer of data are all conducted in its homeland, China. The company assures this complies with all existing data protection laws and the requirements.
The Italian DPA’s concerns extend beyond simple data collection. It is demanding an explanation for the kinds of data collected, their sources, and their end purposes. This includes how the data is used to train its AI system and the legality of processing this data.
Moreover, the privacy of minors on DeepSeek’s platform has emerged as another point of contention. Despite the company’s policy restricting the use of their services to users above 18 years of age, there is no clear method of age verification in place.
With the Italian watchdog leading the charge, a coordinated European investigation may soon follow. However, the European Commission remains on the fence, stating that any services offered within Europe must adhere to regional rules, including the AI Act.
DeepSeek’s practices, as well as the potential for censorship of politically sensitive topics within China, have raised multiple questions about whether the company is respecting European laws on user privacy and free speech. Despite these alarm bells, it seems the European Commission is not yet ready to launch a formal investigation, but continues to monitor the situation closely.
DeepSeek’s response to these complaints is still awaited.
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