WASHINGTON — A bipartisan initiative in the U.S. House of Representatives has emerged to prohibit the Chinese artificial intelligence application DeepSeek from being utilized on federal devices. This proposal aligns closely with existing policies that restrict access to the well-known social media platform TikTok for federal employees.
On Thursday, Representatives Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from New Jersey, and Darin LaHood, a Republican from Illinois, introduced the bill titled the “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act.” If passed, it would prohibit the use of the Chinese AI app on any government-owned electronic devices. The lawmakers raised concerns about the Chinese government potentially leveraging the app for purposes of surveillance and misinformation, advocating for its exclusion from federal networks.
Gottheimer expressed strong concerns over national security, stating, “The Chinese Communist Party has made it abundantly clear that it will exploit any tool at its disposal to undermine our national security, spew harmful disinformation, and collect data on Americans.” He emphasized that allowing the app onto government devices would jeopardize the security of the nation.
The push for this legislation follows a December release by the Chinese software company of an AI model that demonstrated competitive performance relative to its American counterparts, which include entities like OpenAI, Meta, and Alphabet. DeepSeek reportedly developed its sophisticated model at a significantly lower cost compared to similar technologies in the U.S. A research paper published in January regarding DeepSeek’s potential capabilities sparked serious discussions among policymakers as well as key figures in Silicon Valley.
According to security research firm Feroot, earlier reporting indicated that DeepSeek’s computer code could transmit some user login data to a Chinese state-owned telecommunications entity, which has been prohibited from operating in the U.S. In light of these findings, Gottheimer cited these security risks as primary reasons behind introducing the bill. He mentioned, “It was enough of an alarm that I thought we should immediately ban it on all government devices and make it clear to the public of the risks. That’s a critical first step.”
He further added that all congressional members should be informed about DeepSeek’s surveillance functionalities and urged for deeper investigations into the app’s capabilities. The discourse around AI technology is surfacing during a period of intensified competition between the United States and China across various domains, particularly in technological advancements. The U.S. has implemented tariffs on Chinese imports, restricted the usage of Chinese tech firms like Huawei within government systems, and prohibited the export of advanced microchips essential for constructing top-tier AI models.
Legislative actions from the previous year included Congress and then-President Joe Biden approving a sale or divestment of TikTok from its Chinese parent company to avert a countrywide ban; current policies regarding TikTok are presently under review. Additionally, President Donald Trump, who initiated the proposed TikTok ban during his first term, authorized an extension last month, allowing for a more durable resolution before any legally mandated embargo is enforced. In 2023, Biden took further steps by banning TikTok on federal-issued devices.
LaHood affirmed, “The technology race with the Chinese Communist Party is not one the United States can afford to lose. This commonsense, bipartisan piece of legislation will ban the app from federal workers’ phones while closing backdoor operations the company seeks to exploit for access.” The legislation possess specific provisions that would target DeepSeek and any affiliated AI application created by its parent company, High-Flyer, while also providing exemptions for research and national security purposes.
There are lawmakers advocating for more stringent measures. A bill recently put forward by Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, seeks to prohibit the import and export of all AI technologies from China, citing national security anxieties. Various nations have already enacted bans on DeepSeek’s AI chatbot, either entirely or within government parameters.
Italy’s data protection authority recently blocked access to DeepSeek, underscoring its commitment to data protection while opening an investigation into the involved companies. This week, Taiwan announced the prohibition of DeepSeek within government agencies, while South Korea temporarily restricted employee access. Australia has also declared a ban on DeepSeek across government devices. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott has mandated the exclusion of both DeepSeek and another Chinese app, RedNote, from state-operated devices.
