German Authorities Urge Apple And Google to Block DeepSeek App

Commissioner Meike Kamp said DeepSeek is illegally sending users’ personal data to China, which led her to make this request. Similar actions have already been taken in other countries.

She added that the two U.S. tech giants must now review the request and decide soon whether to block the app in Germany, although no specific deadline has been set by her office.

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Google said it had received the notice and is currently reviewing it. DeepSeek did not respond to a request for comment, and Apple has not yet provided a response.

According to DeepSeek’s own privacy policy, the company stores various types of personal data—such as user queries and uploaded files—on servers located in China.

"DeepSeek has not been able to provide my agency with convincing evidence that German users' data is protected in China to a level equivalent to that in the European Union," Kamp said.

"Chinese authorities have far-reaching access rights to personal data within the sphere of influence of Chinese companies," she added.

The commissioner said she made the decision after asking DeepSeek in May to either meet the rules for data transfers outside the EU or voluntarily remove its app. She added that DeepSeek did not follow through on this request.

Earlier this year, DeepSeek gained attention by claiming it had created an AI model that could compete with U.S. companies like OpenAI’s ChatGPT—at a much lower cost.

However, the company is now facing growing concerns in both the U.S. and Europe over how it handles user data. Italy removed the app from its stores due to unclear data practices, and the Netherlands has banned it on all government devices.

Belgium has recommended government officials not to use DeepSeek. "Further analyses are underway to evaluate the approach to be followed," a government spokesperson said.

In Spain, the consumer rights group OCU asked the national data protection agency in February to investigate potential risks linked to DeepSeek. However, no ban has been implemented so far.

The British government said "the use of DeepSeek remains a personal choice for members of the public."

"We continue to monitor any national security threats to UK citizens and their data from all sources," a spokesperson for Britain's technology ministry said.

"If evidence of threats arises, we will not hesitate to take the appropriate steps to protect our national security."