CANBERRA, Australia – Australia has banned Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek from all government devices, citing national security risks, the government announced on Tuesday.
The directive, issued by the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, requires all government entities to remove any existing DeepSeek products and prevent their installation in the future.
“All Australian Government systems and devices must not use or install DeepSeek products, applications, and web services. Any existing instances must be removed immediately,” the statement said.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke defended the move, stating that DeepSeek posed an “unacceptable risk” to government technology.
“This decision is essential to protect Australia’s national security and interests,” Burke said, according to multiple Australian media reports.
The ban does not apply to private citizens, but it follows a growing trend of countries scrutinizing Chinese technology firms over security concerns.
Australia’s decision mirrors a similar move by Italy, while Taiwan imposed its own ban on DeepSeek for government departments earlier this week.
Australia bans DeepSeek on government devices over security risk bbc.in/3CEknzc
Other nations in Europe and beyond are reportedly evaluating restrictions on the AI firm as well.
DeepSeek’s recent launch sent shockwaves through the global tech industry, as the startup’s AI models are reported to be significantly cheaper than Western competitors and operate on less advanced semiconductor technology.
This development has raised concerns over the West’s heavy investments in chipmakers and data centers.
Australia has previously taken a hard stance on Chinese technology companies, having banned TikTok from government devices in 2023 over similar security fears.
The move underscores ongoing tensions between Western governments and Chinese tech firms, as authorities weigh the risks of foreign AI and data-driven technologies in sensitive sectors.
