Germany demands that Apple and Google remove DeepSeek from the App Store and Google Play
Germany accuses Chinese AI app DeepSeek of transmitting data to servers in China. Apple and Google have received an official request to remove the service. The reason is the transfer of user data to servers in China, where they may end up in the possession of local authorities.
This was officially announced by the Berlin Data Protection Commissioner Meike Kamp. According to her, the developers ignored a warning received back in May: the app should either stop exporting data outside the EU or leave the German market. No action was taken, so the regulator filed an official blocking request.
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DeepSeek, the Chinese analogue of ChatGPT, actively promoted as a fast and smart assistant, has already come under suspicion in several countries. Italy has already removed it from app shops, the Netherlands has banned the use of DeepSeek on government devices, and the US is considering a bill restricting the use of Chinese AI models in government agencies.
In addition, according to Reuters, DeepSeek may be linked to China's military and intelligence agencies. This reinforces concerns that user data (including their queries and attachments) could be used not only for commercial but also for political purposes.
Apple and Google must now either voluntarily remove the app in Germany or provide convincing evidence that users' personal data is protected by European standards. If neither condition is met, DeepSeek will be blocked. This case could become a precedent: Europe is increasingly tightening its requirements for digital services, especially when it comes to companies from countries with aggressive data policies.
Source: Reuters
