DeepSeek banned on some Canadian government devices over privacy fears

The Chinese artificial intelligence chatbot DeepSeek is being banned on some Canadian government mobile devices due to “serious privacy concerns” — and other departments are being urged to do the same.

An email from the Treasury Board Secretariat’s chief information officer Dominic Rochon shared with Global News says the concerns stem from DeepSeek’s “inappropriate” collection and retention of sensitive personal information.

It says the app has already been restricted from government mobile devices managed by Shared Services Canada (SSC), which delivers digital services to many government departments and teams.

“I encourage these organizations to work with SSC to further implement the restriction on all department-managed devices,” Rochon wrote in the email sent Thursday.

“Organizations not supported by SSC services should consider blocking the application and website on their departmental network and devices.”

The move is “a precautionary measure to protect government networks and data,” Rochon wrote.

DeepSeek sent shockwaves through financial markets last month when it released its AI chatbot, which is similar to popular programs like OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

However, the Beijing company has claimed its app was developed using less energy and with much cheaper semiconductors than those U.S.-based chatbots.

If a Chinese startup has been able to replicate U.S. firms’ work on the back of cheaper, less sophisticated chips, that could have widespread implications for the future of machine learning and the so-called AI arms race, experts say.

Security experts have warned the DeepSeek chatbot collects user information like names, emails, telephone numbers and dates of birth, along with text or audio inputs, prompts, uploaded files, feedback and chat histories.

That has prompted national security and privacy concerns similar to the ones raised by TikTok, which is owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance.

Western governments fear Chinese companies will share user data with Beijing at the Chinese government’s request, which they would be required to follow under national security laws.

The U.S. briefly banned TikTok last month under a law forcing ByteDance to sell the popular app, though it returned after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an extension of the divestiture deadline.

Ottawa banned TikTok from government devices in 2023, citing security risks, though some politicians and political parties have since returned to the app.

TikTok was ordered last year to “wind down” its business operations in Canada after a national security review, yet the app remains publicly available.

—With files from Global’s Craig Lord