Texas has become the first state in the United States to ban the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Deepseek, which is of Chinese origin. This decision is due to possible risks to national security, as the Chinese government can access confidential information stored on servers located in China. Governor Greg Abbott signed an order that prohibits the use of Deepseek on state devices, protecting the state’s critical infrastructure from potential infiltrations.
At the federal level, Republican Senator Josh Hawley has presented a bill that would prohibit Americans from using the application or interacting with other artificial intelligence technologies created in China. If the bill becomes law, individuals could face fines of up to $1 million, while companies could face fines of up to $100 million, as well as possible prison sentences of up to 20 years. This would make the United States the second country to introduce a total ban on the application, although other countries have already implemented partial bans or are reviewing the app.
Concerns about data security are a major factor in this decision. Deepseek stores user data on servers in China, which raises fears about the potential access of Chinese authorities to this information. Under Chinese law, companies are required to share data with the government if requested. This has led other entities, such as the US Navy and NASA, to also ban the application.
The concern about data security is not limited to the United States. Other countries, including Italy, Taiwan, and Australia, have taken similar measures against Deepseek, citing concerns about national security. Italy has prohibited the download of the application from Apple and Google app stores and has launched an investigation into compliance with European data protection laws. Taiwan has banned the use of Deepseek in government agencies and has asked critical infrastructure companies to do the same. Australia has also imposed a ban, arguing that the application poses a significant risk to national security.
The ban in Texas coincides with the state’s significant influence in the technological world, having become the headquarters of Spacex and Elon Musk’s X platform. Musk’s decision to move his companies to Texas has been seen as an attraction for technological companies. However, the ban also reflects a growing concern about foreign technological companies that could pose a risk to national security. Security experts have warned that Deepseek’s data storage policies could expose companies and governments to risks. According to Bill Conner, CEO of Jitterbit, Deepseek represents a risk for any company that values data privacy, safety, and transparency due to its cloud service model, which stores data in China.