Germany urges Apple, Google to block DeepSeek over data transfers to China

Chinese AI company DeepSeek is at risk of being banned from major app stores in Germany after Berlin’s data protection authority accused the firm of unlawfully transferring user data to China.

On June 27, Berlin's data protection commissioner Meike Kamp issued a statement claiming that DeepSeek’s data practices violate the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“DeepSeek has not been able to convincingly demonstrate to my authority that the data of German users is protected in China at a level equivalent to that of the European Union,” Kamp said. She added that “Chinese authorities have extensive access rights to personal data within the sphere of influence of Chinese companies.”

Under GDPR rules, companies are prohibited from transferring data outside the EU unless the receiving country has adequate data protection safeguards in place. Kamp’s concern is that user data collected in Germany is being transmitted to China without such safeguards, potentially exposing it to Chinese government access.

The Berlin watchdog has formally notified Apple and Google of the alleged violations and expects both companies to conduct a “timely review” to determine whether DeepSeek’s app should be removed from their respective app stores in Germany. If the two US tech giants comply, such a move would effectively block the app across the European Union.

“It is certainly possible that this incident could lead to an EU-wide ban because the rules that apply in Germany are the same elsewhere in the EU and also in the UK,” said Matt Holman, an AI and data law specialist at the law firm Cripps. However, he noted that reaching a consensus among the bloc’s regulators would be a prerequisite for a coordinated EU-level ban.

Holman added that if Apple and Google disable DeepSeek’s app access, the consequences for the Chinese firm could be “quite stark.” He warned that access to German users would be cut off and that other national regulators might follow Berlin’s lead, potentially forcing DeepSeek out of the broader EU and UK markets as well.

DeepSeek has attracted international attention in recent months for launching a cost-efficient AI model built using less advanced Nvidia chips. The company also operates a global chatbot app, which has been downloaded millions of times, prompting increased scrutiny from privacy regulators.

This is not DeepSeek’s first encounter with European authorities. Earlier this year, in February, Italian regulators ordered the company to block its app in the country. In January, Irish authorities also requested information from DeepSeek regarding its data processing practices.

By Tamilla Hasanova