The federal government has restricted Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek’s chatbot from some of its mobile devices and is recommending other agencies and departments follow suit.
The Treasury Board Secretariat’s chief information officer Dominic Rochon sent a memo Thursday to government departments detailing the moves he said are aimed at ensuring “networks and data remain secure and protected.”
“Due to serious privacy concerns associated with the inappropriate collection and retention of sensitive personal information, and as a precautionary measure to protect government networks and data, it is recommended that departments and agencies restrict the use of the DeepSeek chatbot on government devices,” he wrote in the letter.
Rochon’s note said the restriction has already been applied to government mobile devices managed by Shared Services Canada, which delivers digital services to government organizations.
However, he also recommends other departments and agencies do the same as a “precautionary measure.”
DeepSeek did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The company’s chatbot has already been banned from government phones in Australia and is facing similar legislation from the U.S. House of Representatives.
The push to ban DeepSeek’s product has materialized quickly.
The chatbot was only released last month, but generated plenty of buzz because it’s said to be less energy-intensive and more affordable than offerings from rivals.
However, security experts have warned the chatbot collects user information like names, emails, telephone numbers and dates of birth, along with text or audio inputs, prompts, uploaded files, feedback and chat histories.
It also gathers device and network connection information, including what model of phone or computer a user is on, their keystroke patterns, payment information and how they use the company’s services.
The collection of such data is a concern because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Similar worries have cropped up around social media app TikTok, which has a Chinese parent company, ByteDance Ltd.
TikTok was banned from mobile devices issued by the federal government in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
Last November, it ordered the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
TikTok is challenging the order, claiming it will slash hundreds of jobs in Canada and lead to the termination of a quarter of a million contracts it has with advertisers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2025.
