Canada Restricts Use of Chinese AI Chatbot DeepSeek on Government Devices

Canada Tells Ministries to Restrict Use of DeepSeek

Canadian officials are recommending that all ministries ban the use of China's DeepSeek chatbot application on government-issued devices. In a memo circulated to government departments, the country's chief information officer said it is recommended that use of DeepSeek on government-issued devices be restricted, citing "serious privacy concerns" associated with the collection and retention of personal information. Departments "should consider blocking the application and website on their departmental network and devices," said the memo. The memo's contents were earlier reported by the National Post newspaper. DeepSeek, a disruptive new Chinese AI company, emerged seemingly out of nowhere last month. DeepSeek gave its models away, as open-source code, which helped make it immediately popular among consumers, businesses and developers. In the U.S., lawmakers in Congress intend to introduce a bill Friday to ban DeepSeek's chatbot application from U.S. government-owned devices. In 2023, Canada banned the TikTok app from government-issued devices, due to levels of risk and security posed by the China-backed digital platform.

AI chatbot from Chinese firm DeepSeek restricted from some government phones

The federal government has restricted Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek's chatbot from some of its mobile devices and is recommending other agencies and departments follow suit. A memo from the Treasury Board Secretariat's chief information officer Dominic Rochon says the move is being made because of "serious privacy concerns." He says those concerns include DeepSeek's "inappropriate" collection and retention of sensitive personal information. The restriction has already been applied to government mobile devices managed by Shared Services Canada, which delivers digital services to government organizations. Rochon recommends other departments and agencies do the same as a "precautionary measure" to protect government networks and data. DeepSeek generated buzz last month, when it released its chatbot, which is less energy-intensive and more affordable than offerings from rivals. However, security experts have warned the chatbot collects user information like names, emails, telephone numbers and dates of birth, along with text or audio inputs, prompts, uploaded files, feedback and chat histories. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2025.