Germany asks Apple, Google to ban Chinese AI app DeepSeek over privacy concerns
Meike Kamp, the country's commissioner for data protection, stated on Friday that DeepSeek failed to prove it safeguards German users' personal information at a level consistent with EU privacy standards. According to its own privacy policy, the company stores user queries and uploaded files on servers located in China.
'Chinese authorities have sweeping access rights to personal data held by Chinese companies,' said Kamp. She emphasized that DeepSeek had been given an opportunity in May to comply with EU data transfer regulations or voluntarily withdraw its app—neither of which it followed through on.
In response, Google confirmed receipt of the notice and said it was reviewing the request. Apple has yet to comment. DeepSeek also did not respond to media inquiries.
The move comes amid growing global scrutiny of DeepSeek, which made headlines in January by claiming to have developed a low-cost AI model competitive with ChatGPT. While the announcement stirred interest, regulators in the EU and U.S. have since raised red flags about its data handling.
Earlier this year, Italy blocked DeepSeek from app stores due to insufficient transparency around personal data use. The Netherlands banned it on government devices, and Belgium advised officials to avoid the app pending further investigation. Spain's OCU consumer group has requested a national probe, while the UK government has called its use a personal choice but is monitoring potential security risks.
Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers are preparing legislation that would bar federal agencies from using Chinese-developed AI, with a recent Reuters report alleging DeepSeek's involvement in Chinese military and intelligence operations.
Germany's demand marks another blow to the Chinese firm's global credibility as governments become increasingly wary of foreign AI platforms and their data governance practices.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
14 minutes ago
- Hans India
Apple ramps up India output as Foxconn begins iPhone 17 production at Bengaluru plant
Taiwanese electronics major Foxconn and Apple's key supplier has started production of iPhone 17 at its new Bengaluru factory This marks a significant milestone for the facility, which is Foxconn's second-largest iPhone manufacturing unit outside China and has been set up at an investment of around $2.8 billion (about Rs 25,000 crore). The Bengaluru unit, located in Devanahalli, is now operational alongside Foxconn's Chennai plant, where iPhone 17 production is also underway, as per sources close to the development. This follows the local production of iPhone 16 series last year around the same time-frame, ahead of its global and India launch. However, Apple or Foxconn were yet to officially comment on the development. The new facility had faced a brief setback earlier this year after several Chinese engineers left abruptly, but Foxconn has since managed to bring in experts from Taiwan and other locations to bridge the gap. Apple is betting big on India as a manufacturing hub. The company is expected to scale up iPhone production to 60 million units this year, compared to 35–40 million units in 2024–25. In the year ended March 31, 2025, Apple assembled 60 per cent more iPhones in India, worth an estimated $22 billion. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently underlined India's growing importance in the company's global supply chain. After announcing financial results on July 31, he revealed that a majority of iPhones sold in the US in June 2025 were made in India. During the second-quarter earnings call, Cook also confirmed that all iPhones sold in the US during the June quarter were shipped from India. An analysis by S&P Global shows that iPhone sales in the US touched 75.9 million units in 2024. With March 2025 exports from India at 3.1 million units, Apple will need to double shipments through expanded capacity or divert more devices meant for the domestic market to meet this demand. Meanwhile, Apple's presence in India's smartphone market continues to grow. Supplies rose 21.5 per cent annually to 5.9 million units in the first half of 2025, with the iPhone 16 emerging as the most shipped model. In the June quarter alone, Apple's shipments in India rose nearly 20 per cent year-on-year (YoY), giving it a 7.5 per cent market share. The broader Indian smartphone market, however, remained dominated by Chinese brands, with Vivo leading at 19 per cent share during the same quarter, according to IDC. The launch of the Bengaluru factory is seen as a major step in Apple's strategy to diversify its production base away from China and strengthen India's role as a global manufacturing hub.
Hans India
14 minutes ago
- Hans India
Tensions rising in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan against Chinese dominance
Tensions are growing in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region between local communities and the increasingly dominant China-Pakistan trade apparatus, according to reports. Social media footage widely circulated showed Chinese nationals blocking a key road in protest, and within hours, Pakistani traders responded by staging a sit-in that effectively brought cross-border movement at the Sost town at the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) immigration point to a standstill on July 31. According to a report in the online publication these developments are not isolated. They reflect a deepening discontent in Gilgit-Baltistan over what many local residents view as an exploitative trade relationship—one in which the economic benefits disproportionately favour Chinese interests while local traders are left to navigate a system they say is stacked against them. Gilgit-Baltistan's traders have been voicing concerns for years, but recent developments underscore just how acute those frustrations have become. Many in the region argue that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) -- a project long hailed by Islamabad as a game-changer -- has offered little by way of tangible benefit to the local economy. Instead, GB residents say they are witnessing their lands used as corridors for foreign economic gain while their own businesses are suffocated by bureaucracy and an uneven playing field. A recurring complaint involves the inspection of Pakistani goods and vehicles by customs officials, while Chinese shipments often pass with minimal scrutiny. One Gilgit-Baltistan trader told a local media outlet that they were required to provide strict documentation and face exhaustive checks, while Chinese goods faced almost no scrutiny at all. Adding to this imbalance are concerns about labour. Chinese workers employed in infrastructure projects under CPEC are often flown in rather than hired from the local population, leaving many GB residents sidelined despite promises of job creation. According to the report, the Pak-China Traders Action Committee (PCTAC) has escalated its protest at the Sost Dry Port in Hunza since July 21, demanding an end to what it terms illegal taxation by federal agencies. The committee, comprising traders, hoteliers, transporters, and local businesses, has blocked the Karakoram Highway in Hunza and Nagar districts, disrupting trade with China. Tensions flared after the arrest of PCTAC leaders Abbas Mir, Ali Nazar, and Farman Ali Tajik on the night of July 20–21. They were released the next day amid pressure from the trading community. The dispute stems from federal authorities, including the FBR and Pakistan Customs, imposing income and sales taxes on Chinese imports via the Khunjerab Pass. Historically, traders from Gilgit-Baltistan were informally exempt from such levies, especially for small-scale and local-market trade. However, stricter enforcement in recent months, citing smuggling concerns, has angered traders. Despite its strategic importance, the region remains in a constitutional limbo, lacking full provincial status and often excluded from the mainstream political discourse. This marginalisation has made it easier for Islamabad to push forward large-scale economic projects—like CPEC—without robust local consultation. Critics argue that this approach reduces GB to a transit zone, valuable only for its geographic location rather than for its people. While Islamabad plays a quiet role, China's growing footprint in the region is increasingly visible—and increasingly contested. From the construction of roads and tunnels to the operation of customs facilities, Chinese companies and personnel are a familiar presence in GB towns like Sost and Hunza. Though some local residents acknowledge the improvements in connectivity and infrastructure, many also feel overwhelmed by what they see as a foreign economic occupation, the report added
Time of India
14 minutes ago
- Time of India
Apple leak: iPhone 17 Pro Max may have the biggest iPhone battery yet
Synopsis Leaked internal designs suggest the iPhone 17 Pro Max might feature Apple's largest battery ever, exceeding 5,000 mAh, potentially rivaling Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra. The renders reveal a redesigned internal layout, repositioned MagSafe coils, and possible inclusion of a vapor-chamber cooling system.
