WASHINGTON, D.C. — The rapid rise of DeepSeek, a chatbot app created by a Chinese artificial company of the same name—has sent shockwaves through both Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. Citing national security risks, Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, is introducing a bill to ban the app on government devices.
What You Need To Know
- Chinese AI company DeepSeek released an app of the same name earlier this year, upending the AI race
- Lawmakers and cybersecurity experts warn the Chinese company could expose user data to the Chinese government and its intelligence services
- Sen. Jon Husted introduced his first bill in Congress to ban the app on government devices
DeepSeek upended the artificial intelligence race this year by releasing a chatbot app that rivals American technology but costs much less to make.
Lawmakers and cybersecurity experts have warned, however, that the Chinese company could expose user data to the Chinese government and its intelligence services.
Husted is introducing the “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act,” which would ban the app for government employees on work devices. The bill is Husted’s first piece of legislation since taking office in January.
“They can steal our information, spy on us, use it for political influence, and weaponize it against Americans in the American government. And it has no business being on any of our devices,” Husted said. “In China, they don’t allow ChatGPT on consumer devices. They certainly don’t allow any American AI companies on government devices. Why would we be so foolish to do it in America?”
The legislation follows Husted’s work as lieutenant governor of Ohio, where he pushed for a state law banning TikTok on government devices, citing similar security concerns. The law was signed in 2023.
Husted added he supports enforcing the 2024 law requiring TikTok to divest from its Chinese ownership or shut down, though the app remains functional after President Donald Trump extended app owner ByteDance’s deadline to divest.
“I support the ban on TikTok. Or really, it’s the divestment of TikTok. We need to make sure that it is in the hands of an American owned company and not a Chinese Communist Party influence donor. And until that happens, it needs to go away,” Husted said.
In partnering with Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Husted said he was confident the bill would sponsor bipartisan support.
“This should be something that Americans can unite around,” he said. “Even the people here in Congress should be able to unite around it because our common enemy is the Chinese Communist Party.”
The legislation comes as several other countries have already blocked access to DeepSeek, including Italy, Australia, Taiwan and South Korea.