China’s Trojan Horse: 21 State Attorneys General Demand DeepSeek Ban on Government Devices
If you thought TikTok was bad, wait until you hear about DeepSeek. This AI-powered chatbot, developed in China, is already being flagged as a direct threat to U.S. national security. Now, attorneys general from 21 states are demanding Congress take immediate action to ban it from all government devices—before it’s too late.
Their warning? DeepSeek is a data-harvesting machine for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), tracking Americans' search history, IP addresses, and keystroke patterns, then shipping that information straight to Beijing. But of course, we’ve seen this playbook before—Chinese tech firms pretending to be “independent” while funneling sensitive data into the hands of an authoritarian regime.
A Clear and Present Danger
The letter, sent to congressional leaders on March 6, leaves no room for interpretation:
“DeepSeek appears to be another tool for Chinese spies to attack America’s national security. Given the Chinese desire to steal America’s secrets and the ability of DeepSeek to carry out this theft, Congress should quickly pass legislation to ban DeepSeek on government devices.”
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, who spearheaded the effort, didn’t mince words:
“I have already banned the platform at the Montana Department of Justice because we know DeepSeek is tracking users’ search history, IP addresses, and keystroke patterns then giving that information to the Chinese government.”
Knudsen and his colleagues referenced a 2023 Pew Research survey showing that half of Americans already recognize China as the nation’s greatest adversary. And they’re right. This isn’t some benign search tool—it’s a digital Trojan horse.
The Global Crackdown Has Begun
It’s not just the U.S. that sees the writing on the wall. Australia, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Netherlands have already blocked DeepSeek from their government networks. Italy has gone a step further and banned it outright across the entire country.
And why? Because the chatbot’s own user policy openly states that all data is stored on servers in China and can be shared with law enforcement under Beijing’s orders.
If you think Chinese companies have a choice in the matter, think again. Article 7 of China’s National Intelligence Law mandates that all businesses must assist in the state’s intelligence operations. That means if the CCP demands access to user data, DeepSeek has no option but to comply.
Just last month, South Korea caught DeepSeek red-handed, secretly sharing data with ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. That’s an outright violation of South Korean data laws, and it resulted in DeepSeek getting wiped from app stores and banned on government devices.
Congress Must Act—Before It’s Too Late
This isn’t a partisan issue. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle recognize the national security threat posed by China’s data-collection apparatus. Reps. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) have already called on all 50 states to ban DeepSeek from their government systems. Texas, New York, and Virginia have already taken action, but that’s not enough.
Here’s the hard truth: China isn’t just gathering data. They’re weaponizing it. And while Washington drags its feet, the CCP’s surveillance tentacles keep spreading.
If you want to keep your personal data out of the hands of a hostile foreign regime, the time to act is now. Ditch big tech spying, secure your financial privacy, and start taking control of your assets.
Download Bill Brocius’ free guide, “7 Steps to Protect Your Account from Bank Failure,” and learn how to safeguard your wealth from the surveillance state—before it’s too late.
