EU Privacy Watchdog Signals Potential Further Actions Against DeepSeek AI

DeepSeek May Face Further Regulatory Actions, EU Privacy Watchdog Says

Several DPAs have already started actions vis-a-vis DeepSeek DeepSeek may face more actions from national regulators in the future, Europe's privacy watchdog said on Tuesday, underscoring the bloc's concerns about the rising popularity of the cheap Chinese Artificial Intelligence startup. National privacy regulators discussed DeepSeek at a monthly meeting on Tuesday, after Italy blocked the chatbot over lack of information on its use of personal data and as enforcers in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and other countries questioned DeepSeek on its data collection practices. "Several DPAs (data protection authorities) have already started actions vis-a-vis DeepSeek and there may be further actions in the future," a spokesperson for the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) said in an email after the meeting. The concerns prompted the EDPB to broaden the scope of a taskforce created in April 2023 to foster cooperation and exchange information on enforcement related to AI. The taskforce had originally focused only on Microsoft-backed OpenAI's ChatGPT. "In addition, the EDPB members underlined the need to coordinate DPAs' actions regarding urgent sensitive matters and for that purpose will set up a quick response team," the spokesperson said. Europe has been in the forefront of protecting its citizens' privacy rights while its General Data Protection Regulation, which came into effect in 2018, is the toughest privacy law in the world. © Thomson Reuters 2025

DeepSeek may face further regulatory actions, EU privacy watchdog says

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - DeepSeek may face more actions from national regulators in the future, Europe's privacy watchdog said on Tuesday, underscoring the bloc's concerns about the rising popularity of the cheap Chinese artificial intelligence startup. National privacy regulators discussed DeepSeek at a monthly meeting on Tuesday, after Italy blocked the chatbot over lack of information on its use of personal data and as enforcers in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and other countries questioned DeepSeek on its data collection practices. "Several DPAs (data protection authorities) have already started actions vis-a-vis DeepSeek and there may be further actions in the future," a spokesperson for the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) said in an email after the meeting. The concerns prompted the EDPB to broaden the scope of a taskforce created in April 2023 to foster cooperation and exchange information on enforcement related to AI. The taskforce had originally focused only on Microsoft-backed OpenAI's ChatGPT. "In addition, the EDPB members underlined the need to coordinate DPAs' actions regarding urgent sensitive matters and for that purpose will set up a quick response team," the spokesperson said. Europe has been in the forefront of protecting its citizens' privacy rights while its General Data Protection Regulation, which came into effect in 2018, is the toughest privacy law in the world. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

Europe's privacy watchdogs to discuss DeepSeek at Tuesday meeting

PARIS (Reuters) - European Union authorities overseeing data protection will discuss artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek on Tuesday, a meeting agenda shows, amid concerns over how the Chinese company uses data. DeepSeek rocked global markets last month by showing it could vie with U.S. heavyweights on human-like reasoning technology, while charging much less. But some European privacy watchdogs have raised questions about whether the firm's model uses the personal data of Europeans for training, and if the data could be transferred to China. The Brussels-based European Data Protection Board has scheduled a discussion on DeepSeek at its monthly meeting this week, an agenda on its website shows. National authorities will discuss the actions they have taken in response to DeepSeek and share information, Marie-Laure Denis, president of French privacy watchdog CNIL, told Reuters on the sidelines of the AI Action summit in Paris. "The aim is to exchange information on the way in which authorities have sought to respond to DeepSeek and to harmonise actions," she said. CNIL said last month it would question DeepSeek to gain a better idea of how the Chinese startup's AI system works and any possible privacy risks for users. It submitted its questions on Monday, the organisation told Reuters. Ireland's data protection authority has also requested information from the Chinese company while Italy's watchdog has ordered DeepSeek to block its chatbot in the country after the Chinese firm failed to address the regulator's concerns over its privacy policy. Europe has been particularly protective of privacy rights and its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive and stringent data privacy laws in the world. (Reporting by Florence Loeve in Paris and Foo Yun Chee in Brussels; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

Europe's Privacy Watchdogs to Discuss DeepSeek at Tuesday Meeting

PARIS (Reuters) - European Union authorities overseeing data protection will discuss artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek on Tuesday, a meeting agenda shows, amid concerns over how the Chinese company uses data. DeepSeek rocked global markets last month by showing it could vie with U.S. heavyweights on human-like reasoning technology, while charging much less. But some European privacy watchdogs have raised questions about whether the firm's model uses the personal data of Europeans for training, and if the data could be transferred to China. The Brussels-based European Data Protection Board has scheduled a discussion on DeepSeek at its monthly meeting this week, an agenda on its website shows. National authorities will discuss the actions they have taken in response to DeepSeek and share information, Marie-Laure Denis, president of French privacy watchdog CNIL, told Reuters on the sidelines of the AI Action summit in Paris. "The aim is to exchange information on the way in which authorities have sought to respond to DeepSeek and to harmonise actions," she said. CNIL said last month it would question DeepSeek to gain a better idea of how the Chinese startup's AI system works and any possible privacy risks for users. It submitted its questions on Monday, the organisation told Reuters. Ireland's data protection authority has also requested information from the Chinese company while Italy's watchdog has ordered DeepSeek to block its chatbot in the country after the Chinese firm failed to address the regulator's concerns over its privacy policy. Europe has been particularly protective of privacy rights and its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive and stringent data privacy laws in the world. (Reporting by Florence Loeve in Paris and Foo Yun Chee in Brussels; Editing by Sharon Singleton)