German official urges Apple and Google to ban AI company DeepSeek
A German data protection official has accused the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company DeepSeek of illegally transferring user data to China.
Meike Kamp, Berlin's commissioner for data protection and freedom of information, reported DeepSeek to Apple and Google and asked the American companies to remove DeepSeek from their app stores.
In a statement released on Friday, Kamp said DeepSeek did not provide 'convincing evidence' that users' data was protected, as is required by European Union law.
'DeepSeek's transfer of user data to China is unlawful,' Kamp said, adding that 'Chinese authorities have far-reaching access rights to personal data within the sphere of influence of Chinese companies'.
'Furthermore, DeepSeek users in China do not have the enforceable rights and effective legal remedies guaranteed in the European Union,' Kamp said.
She said that Apple and Google must now review the report and decide whether to remove the app.
Kamp said that her office had asked DeepSeek to either comply with EU laws for transferring data outside the bloc or pull its app from Germany, but that DeepSeek has not taken either option.
Under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), companies are banned from sending data outside the region unless specific safeguards are in place in the countries where the data is sent.
DeepSeek made waves in January when it launched its AI model, claiming it was created at a fraction of the cost of competitors.
But studies have shown there are concerns over cybersecurity and safety, including DeepSeek-R1's susceptibility to generating harmful and biased content.
As it is a China-based company, the country's law states that any data shared on mobile and web apps can be accessed by Chinese intelligence agencies, which is also generating national security fears.
Italy banned DeepSeek from its app stores in January, citing data protection concerns.
The country's data protection authority ordered a block on Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence and Beijing DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence – the Chinese companies behind the DeepSeek chatbot – to force them to stop processing Italians' data.
The move comes after DeepSeek reportedly told the Italian authorities that it would not cooperate with a request for information.
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Euronews
5 hours ago
- Euronews
German official urges Apple and Google to ban AI company DeepSeek
A German data protection official has accused the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company DeepSeek of illegally transferring user data to China. Meike Kamp, Berlin's commissioner for data protection and freedom of information, reported DeepSeek to Apple and Google and asked the American companies to remove DeepSeek from their app stores. In a statement released on Friday, Kamp said DeepSeek did not provide 'convincing evidence' that users' data was protected, as is required by European Union law. 'DeepSeek's transfer of user data to China is unlawful,' Kamp said, adding that 'Chinese authorities have far-reaching access rights to personal data within the sphere of influence of Chinese companies'. 'Furthermore, DeepSeek users in China do not have the enforceable rights and effective legal remedies guaranteed in the European Union,' Kamp said. She said that Apple and Google must now review the report and decide whether to remove the app. Kamp said that her office had asked DeepSeek to either comply with EU laws for transferring data outside the bloc or pull its app from Germany, but that DeepSeek has not taken either option. Under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), companies are banned from sending data outside the region unless specific safeguards are in place in the countries where the data is sent. DeepSeek made waves in January when it launched its AI model, claiming it was created at a fraction of the cost of competitors. But studies have shown there are concerns over cybersecurity and safety, including DeepSeek-R1's susceptibility to generating harmful and biased content. As it is a China-based company, the country's law states that any data shared on mobile and web apps can be accessed by Chinese intelligence agencies, which is also generating national security fears. Italy banned DeepSeek from its app stores in January, citing data protection concerns. The country's data protection authority ordered a block on Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence and Beijing DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence – the Chinese companies behind the DeepSeek chatbot – to force them to stop processing Italians' data. The move comes after DeepSeek reportedly told the Italian authorities that it would not cooperate with a request for information.
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5 hours ago
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Shein to file confidentially for Hong Kong IPO amid global expansion plans
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The Hong Kong stock exchange declined to comment on individual companies. Documents, including financials, related to Shein's IPO will remain undisclosed until the company passes a hearing with the Hong Kong stock exchange, which is the final step in the city's regulatory approval process. Before that final step, Shein must secure approval from the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) to proceed with the Hong Kong IPO. It is not known if Shein has already secured a verbal nod from the Chinese securities regulator. The CSRC did not respond to Reuters' request for comment. Reuters first reported last month, citing sources, that Shein was working toward a listing in Hong Kong after its proposed London IPO failed to secure the green light from Chinese regulators. Reuters previously reported that the New York attempt also did not receive CSRC approval. 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Risk disclosures A Shein listing would help Hong Kong, which saw $12.8 billion worth of IPOs and second listings in the first half, reestablish its credibility as a global fundraising center at a time of major volatility stoked by U.S. trade policy changes. Shein, founded in mainland China in 2012, is hoping to succeed in Hong Kong after failed attempts to list in New York and then London, where Britain's financial regulator approved the listing. In line with Beijing's rules for Chinese firms pursuing offshore listings, Shein must file with the CSRC within three working days of submitting its IPO application in Hong Kong. Shein relocated its headquarters from China to Singapore in 2022 and does not directly own or operate any factories. However, it remains subject to Chinese IPO regulations because most of its products are manufactured by a network of 7,000 third-party suppliers based in China, according to sources. The CSRC applies the rules on a "substance over form" basis, granting it discretion on when and how to implement them. A draft prospectus would normally disclose key risks to a company, including those linked to its supply chain. Shein has faced allegations from politicians and campaigners that its supply chain in China is linked to forced labor of Uyghur minorities in Xinjiang, a highly contentious issue for Beijing, which denies any abuses in the cotton-producing province. The U.S. bans imports of products made with forced labor from Xinjiang, and Shein has stated that it prohibits its suppliers from using Chinese cotton in products bound for the U.S. Shein has said its supplier code of conduct prohibiting forced labor applies worldwide. © Thomson Reuters 2025 All rights reserved.
