Concerns Surrounding DeepSeek Lead to Its Ban on Canadian Government Devices

On February 7, 2025, the Canadian government took significant action regarding the Chinese artificial intelligence chatbot DeepSeek. Due to serious privacy concerns, the chatbot has been banned from certain government mobile devices, with recommendations for other departments to follow suit.

An email from Dominic Rochon, the chief information officer of the Treasury Board Secretariat, revealed that the issues stem from DeepSeek's inappropriate collection and retention of sensitive personal information. This includes data like names, emails, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and more.

As a precaution, the app has already been restricted on government devices managed by Shared Services Canada (SSC), an organization that provides digital services to various government departments. Rochon emphasized in his email that all departments should collaborate with SSC to apply similar restrictions on their devices.

For organizations not using SSC's services, Rochon encouraged them to consider blocking access to the DeepSeek application and its website within their networks. He clarified that this move is aimed at protecting government networks and sensitive data.

DeepSeek made headlines last month after launching its AI chatbot, which draws comparisons to well-known services like OpenAI's ChatGPT. The Beijing-based company, however, claimed that its technology was developed using less energy and at a fraction of the cost of U.S.-based chatbots.

Security experts have raised alarms stating that the DeepSeek chatbot's data collection practices mirror those of TikTok, another Chinese app that has faced scrutiny for user data concerns. Authorities fear that the Chinese government may compel companies to share user data under national security laws.

Recently, U.S. authorities attempted to ban TikTok, forcing its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to consider divesting. Even though the app is again available in the U.S., the concerns surrounding DeepSeek echo those raised previously with TikTok, prompting caution among Western governments.

In 2023, Canada imposed a ban on TikTok from government devices, citing similar security risks, though the app has since seen some political figures and parties returning to use it. Following a national security review last year, the Canadian government mandated TikTok to wind down its operations in Canada, although the app remains accessible to the public.

As governments continue to assess the potential risks associated with foreign technology, the DeepSeek incident underscores the ongoing debate around privacy and data protection on mobile devices managed by public sectors.

DeepSeek, Privacy, Canada