Australia bans DeepSeek AI program on government devices

Sydney, Australia — Australia has officially banned DeepSeek from all government devices following security agencies’ recommendations, citing privacy risks and potential malware threats linked to the Chinese-developed AI program.

The DeepSeek chatbot, created by a China-based startup, has made waves in the tech industry and financial markets since its release last month. However, concerns over its security and data practices have led several countries including South Korea, Italy, and France to scrutinize the application.

Australia has taken one of the strongest stances yet, issuing an outright ban on DeepSeek across government systems.

"This decision is based on security agency advice and is by no means symbolic," said Andrew Charlton, Australia’s cyber security envoy. "We must ensure government systems are not exposed to these applications."

Charlton warned that information uploaded to DeepSeek "may not remain private" and that such applications could potentially expose users to malware.

‘Unacceptable’ Security Risk

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs issued a directive overnight, instructing government employees to remove all instances of DeepSeek from official devices.

"After a thorough threat and risk assessment, I have determined that using DeepSeek products, applications, and web services presents an unacceptable security risk to the Australian Government," said Home Affairs Secretary Stephanie Foster.

Effective immediately, all non-corporate Commonwealth entities must "identify and remove all existing instances" of DeepSeek from government systems and mobile devices. The directive also mandates blocking access to DeepSeek products on official networks.

The ban has received bipartisan support, with Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley urging the public to consider removing DeepSeek from personal devices as well.

Escalating Tech Tensions

Australia has previously imposed similar restrictions on Chinese technology. In 2018, the government barred Huawei from its national 5G network over national security concerns. TikTok was also banned from government devices in 2023 on the advice of intelligence agencies.

DeepSeek drew global attention last month when it claimed its R1 chatbot rivals leading US AI models at a significantly lower cost. This has sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley, with some experts accusing the company of reverse-engineering top US technology, such as the AI behind ChatGPT.

Concerns over DeepSeek’s data handling have now led countries including South Korea, Ireland, France, Italy, and Australia to question how the chatbot manages personal data and what information is used to train its AI system.

Tech and trade disputes between China and Australia have been ongoing for years, with tensions flaring over the Huawei ban, Beijing’s foreign influence operations, and Australia’s calls for an independent investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Link Source: https://business.inquirer.net/504998/australia-bans-deepseek-ai-program-on-govt-devices