Italy’s data protection authority, Garante, blocked access to the Chinese AI application DeepSeek on Thursday, citing concerns over user data protection and launching an investigation into the companies behind the chatbot.
Garante expressed dissatisfaction with DeepSeek’s response to its inquiry regarding data collection, storage, and user notification practices.
“Contrary to the authority’s findings, the companies declared that they do not operate in Italy and that European legislation does not apply to them,” the statement said, noting that the app had already been downloaded by millions worldwide within days of its release.
DeepSeek’s chatbot has intensified competition in the AI technology race, disrupting markets and challenging American generative AI leaders at a significantly lower cost.
