According to Reuters, European privacy officials are keeping a close eye on DeepSeek, a low-cost artificial intelligence startup from China.
On Tuesday, Europe’s privacy watchdog warned that DeepSeek might face even more restrictions in the future. This shows that European regulators are worried about the company’s growing popularity.
Reuters reported that privacy regulators from different European countries discussed DeepSeek during their monthly meeting. Italy has already blocked the AI chatbot because it failed to explain how it uses people’s personal information.
Meanwhile, officials from France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg have been questioning DeepSeek about how it collects user data.
A spokesperson for the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) told Reuters that some European privacy agencies have already taken action against DeepSeek, and more restrictions might be coming.
Due to these concerns, the EDPB is expanding a special team that was originally created in April 2023 to focus on AI-related privacy issues.
This team was first set up to look into ChatGPT, which is supported by Microsoft. Now, it will also monitor DeepSeek and other AI services.
Reuters also noted that the EDPB is planning to set up a “quick response team” to help different European countries act faster on serious privacy concerns.
Europe has some of the strictest privacy laws in the world, with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which has been in effect since 2018. This law is meant to protect the personal data of European citizens, and DeepSeek’s practices may not be in line with these rules.
In summary, Reuters highlighted that European regulators are taking AI privacy very seriously.
DeepSeek is now under heavy scrutiny, and more restrictions could follow if it fails to comply with Europe’s strict privacy standards.
Credit : Reuters