Italy’s data protection authority, Garante per la Protezione dei Dati Personali (GPDP), announced on Thursday an emergency order restricting the Chinese AI company DeepSeek from accessing Italian users’ personal data due to security risks.
DeepSeek, an AI platform designed to process and respond to human conversations, recently launched globally and has rapidly gained widespread downloads.
GPDP, an independent Italian regulatory body, had previously issued a formal warning on Tuesday, notifying DeepSeek’s offices in Hangzhou and Beijing to clarify within 20 days how it collects and processes user data, warning that millions of Italians’ personal information could be at risk. On Thursday, GPDP issued an emergency order to block DeepSeek, justifying the urgent measure by stating that DeepSeek’s response was inadequate and stressing the need to protect Italian citizens’ data.
GPDP noted that DeepSeek claimed it does not operate in Italy and is therefore not subject to European regulations—a stance that contradicts Italy’s regulatory assessment. Consequently, authorities have not only restricted DeepSeek’s handling of Italian user data but have also launched an official investigation.
As of Wednesday, DeepSeek’s mobile app has been removed from Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store in Italy. However, the web version of DeepSeek remains accessible within the country.