DeepSeek AI Accused of Sharing User Data with Banned Chinese Telecom

Security researchers have discovered that DeepSeek may be transmitting user login information to China Mobile, a state-owned telecommunications firm banned from operating in the United States due to alleged ties to the Chinese military. This revelation raises significant concerns about user privacy and national security.

According to a report by Feroot Security, DeepSeek's website contains code that captures user credentials during account creation and login processes. While DeepSeek's privacy policy acknowledges that user data is stored on servers in China, the involvement of China Mobile suggests a deeper connection to Chinese state infrastructure than previously understood. Ivan Tsarynny, CEO of Feroot Security, stated, "It’s mindboggling that we are unknowingly allowing China to survey Americans and we’re doing nothing about it."

Further analysis by independent security experts confirmed the presence of the code but did not observe data being transmitted to China Mobile during tests conducted in North America. However, they could not rule out the possibility that such transmissions occur under different circumstances.

This discovery adds to the growing list of security concerns surrounding DeepSeek. The company recently faced a "large-scale cyberattack" that led to a temporary suspension of new user registrations. Additionally, DeepSeek has been accused of using data from competitors like OpenAI and Microsoft without permission to train its AI models.

Stewart Baker, a former official with the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency, compared the situation to previous controversies involving Chinese apps, stating that DeepSeek "raises all of the TikTok concerns, plus you’re talking about information that is highly likely to be of more national security and personal significance than anything people do on TikTok."

As DeepSeek continues to gain popularity, these revelations underscore the importance of scrutinizing the data practices of AI applications, especially those with potential connections to foreign state-owned entities.