"DeepSeek could soon disappear from Apple and Google's official app stores in Germany as data protection officials accuse the Chinese chatbot of alleged privacy violations.
"DeepSeek's transfer of user data to China is unlawful," said Berlin Data Protection Commissioner Meike Kamp, in an official announcement dated June 27, 2025. Kamp has called on the Big Tech giant to consider blocking the app in the country.
Another EU member, Italy, already banned Deepseek from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in January 2025 over similar grounds. The block was enforced about a week after the release of the ChatGPT rival.
According to German authorities, the company behind DeepSeek AI (Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd) violates Art. 46 (1) of the GDPR, which rules the need for "appropriate safeguards" when transferring EU citizens' personal data to a third country.
According to Kamp, DeepSeek failed to convince German officials that users' data is protected when these details are transferred to China, as expected by EU laws."
https://www.techradar.com/computing/cyber-security/deepseek-faces-ban-in-germany-as-privacy-watchdog-reports-the-app-to-google-and-apple-as-illegal-content
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