US Started DeepSeek Security Assessment

A US government backlash against the overnight success of AI chatbot DeepSeek R1 began. The US is probing national security implications, some branches of the military already outlawed it, and concerns raised over data sovereignty.

Government press secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed the US National Security Council is probing DeepSeek. The official appears to have admitted the chatbot caught domestic alternatives off-guard but reiterated a stance outlined by President Donald Trump over the nation’s ambition to dominate the AI sector.

The US Navy had already banned the use of DeepSeek before its headline-making App Store success, with personnel instructed not to use the chatbot in any capacity. A representative told CNBC the Navy’s policy related to its broader policies around generative AI. Tensions over data sovereignty are running high in the US as a protracted saga involving TikTok plays out but, unlike the ByteDance-owned app, DeepSeek is making no secret of the fact its data centers are based in China.

The Chinese AI company provides a long list of examples of the data it collects and ships back to its home nation. DeepSeek collects data directly and indirectly spanning the information provided when signing up, queries made, chat histories, files uploaded, and more. The company also gathers details of IP addresses, unique device identifiers, and cookies. The swathe of information DeepSeek gathers is much more powerful than the details TikTok employs.