Apple and Google are facing mounting pressure from German authorities to remove the Chinese AI app DeepSeek from their app stores in Germany over data privacy violations.
The Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, Meike Kamp, has flagged the app for transferring personal data to China without adhering to EU data protection standards.
Kamp’s office examined DeepSeek’s practices and found that the company failed to offer “convincing evidence” that user information is safeguarded as mandated by EU law.
She emphasized the risks linked to Chinese data governance, warning that “Chinese authorities have far-reaching access rights to personal data within the sphere of influence of Chinese companies.”
With this in mind, Apple and Google have been urged to evaluate the findings and consider whether to block the app in Germany.
Authorities in Berlin had already asked DeepSeek to either meet EU legal requirements for data transfers outside the bloc or remove its app from German availability.
DeepSeek did not take action to address these concerns, according to Kamp.
Germany’s move follows Italy’s earlier decision this year to block DeepSeek from local app stores, citing comparable concerns about data security and privacy.
Privacy advocates in Europe continue to highlight that DeepSeek not only originates in China but also processes and stores data within Chinese borders.
The app’s privacy policy confirms that user data is kept in China, placing it under Chinese legal jurisdiction, which raises further alarm for those focused on protecting personal information in the EU.
