AI chatbot from Chinese firm DeepSeek restricted from some government phones

By Canadian Press on February 7, 2025.

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.

A memo from the Treasury Board Secretariat’s chief information officer Dominic Rochon says the move is being made because of “serious privacy concerns.”

He says those concerns include DeepSeek’s “inappropriate” collection and retention of sensitive personal information.

The restriction has already been applied to government mobile devices managed by Shared Services Canada, which delivers digital services to government organizations.

Rochon recommends other departments and agencies do the same as a “precautionary measure” to protect government networks and data.

DeepSeek generated buzz last month, when it released its chatbot, which is 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.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2025.

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press