Hundreds of Companies to Block DeepSeek Over Data Leak Concerns
Reporter
February 5, 2025 | 05:36 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Hundreds of companies in various countries have prohibited their employees from using the AI-based chatbot developed by a Chinese company, DeepSeek.
Financial Post reported that the head of technology at the U.S.-based cyber firm Armis Inc., Nadir Izrael, revealed that many companies, especially those associated with governments, have worked to block access to DeepSeek due to concerns about potential data leaks to the Chinese government.
Nadir also disclosed that approximately 70 percent of Armis' clientele have requested to block access to the DeepSeek chatbot. “The biggest concern is the AI model’s potential data leakage to the Chinese government. You don’t know where your information goes,” said Nadir, as quoted from Antara.
Similar reports have also come from Netskope Inc., a service used by companies to control and restrict their employees' access to certain sites. They revealed a surge in requests to block access to DeepSeek.
The company cited that about 52 percent of its clients have requested blocking access to the AI chatbot. This indicates that concerns regarding the use of this application are becoming more widespread among companies, especially those with data security interests.
DeepSeek's surging popularity has landed the app in the top position in the App Store and Play Store. This success has attracted the attention of many users, raising concerns about data security risks. DeepSeek is known for collecting and storing user data on servers located in China.
DeepSeek offers various features that allow users to analyze files, answer questions, and search for and access information available on the internet. This makes DeepSeek a multifunctional tool expected to assist users in their daily activities.
One of the advantages offered by this application is its ability to support file uploads and allow users to synchronize conversation histories across all their devices. This provides flexibility for users who want to continue conversation or utilize analysis results from different devices, providing a smoother and more practical experience.
Despite currently occupying the top position, this application needs to reach 300 million weekly active users to surpass ChatGPT OpenAI and lead the long-term competition in AI chatbots.
DeepSeek has reportedly attracted significant attention from the industry in recent days. Several startups, such as Perplexity and Gloo—new companies founded by former Intel CEO, Pat Gelsinger—have integrated DeepSeek for use by their users.
Editor’s Choice: Australia Bans DeepSeek on Government Devices Citing Security Concerns
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
