Germany’s top privacy official has formally urged Apple and Google to yank the Chinese AI app DeepSeek from their national app stores. Data protection commissioner Meike Kamp told Reuters that DeepSeek continues to send personal user information to China without meeting European Union safeguards. Kamp made her request public after DeepSeek failed to satisfy demands made in May to prove that German users’ data would enjoy protections on par with the strict standards of the EU.
Concerns Over Chinese Access to Personal Data
DeepSeek’s privacy policy reveals that user queries and uploaded files are stored on Chinese servers. Kamp criticized this practice, pointing to Chinese laws that grant state authorities broad rights to access corporate data. “DeepSeek has not been able to provide my agency with convincing evidence that German users’ data is protected in China to a level equivalent to that in the European Union,” Kamp said.
A Growing Pattern of Scrutiny in Europe
Italy was the first EU country to order DeepSeek’s removal from both app stores earlier this year. The Netherlands banned the app on governmental devices over similar worries. Germany has now become the latest to take action, joining a chorus of regulators alarmed by DeepSeek’s security gaps and potential ties to Chinese military and intelligence operations, as reported by Reuters.
What Happens Next for Apple and Google
Both Apple and Google complied with Italy’s ban in 2025 and have yet to comment on Germany’s directive. They must rapidly assess Kamp’s request and decide whether to block DeepSeek’s download in Germany. Current users of the app may lose their access to it or they may be updated with features that cripple its main features.
Implications for AI App Security
The global emergence of DeepSeek and its fast development speed, regardless of its support, uncovers the contradiction between creativity and data security. With the currently increasing number of nations that prefer to impose strict data transfer regulations, AI developers might have to redesign their larger infrastructure to adapt to different legal jurisdictions. European regulators have shown they will not hesitate to act when user privacy appears at risk.
What’s Next
German authorities and other EU regulators continue to sharpen their oversight of AI tools. For DeepSeek, meeting the EU’s “adequacy” standards for data protection would require substantive changes to its data handling policies and server architecture. Absent such changes, users in major markets may soon be cut off from the app.
The German move underscores a broader trend: the need for AI services to prioritize transparent data governance or face expulsion from critical markets.
