DeepSeek has caused panic among tech giants and governments worldwide with its efficiency and overnight success, giving rise to privacy concerns.
According to the Associated Press, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott issued a ban on the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup for government-issued devices.
This marks the first time a U.S. state has directly imposed a restriction on the chatbot.
Along with this, the politician also prohibited the popular Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, which gained traction after TikTok was banned in the U.S.
The 67-year-old stated, “Texas will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate our state’s critical infrastructure through data-harvesting AI and social media apps.”
“Texas will continue to protect and defend our state from hostile foreign actors,” he added.
The AI startup dethroned ChatGPT at the Apple App Store after releasing its model, R1, in early January, sparking concerns among tech giants in America.
Texas, along with several other states, has banned TikTok and other Chinese social media platforms from government devices.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s digital ministry also expressed concerns about DeepSeek, urging government bodies not to use the Chinese AI due to security risks.
Earlier on Friday, South Korean authorities also disclosed their plans to inquire with the Chinese company about their data management following privacy concerns.
