In a statement released on June 27 (local time), Ms. Meike Kamp - Berlin Data Protection Committee emphasized that DeepSeek's transfer of German user data to China is illegal behavior. Ms. Kamp said that this application has not proven that German citizen data is protected according to standards equivalent to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union (EU).
According to GDPR, companies are not allowed to transfer user data outside the EU without appropriate protections. This regulation is to ensure privacy equivalent to the law of this bloc.
DeepSeek - a recently emerging Chinese AI company with a chatbot promoted as an activity on a cost-saving platform has not yet given an official response. CNBC said it has contacted DeepSeek's security team but has not yet received a response.
Experts warn that if Germany conducts an investigation and determines clear violations, this could lead to a ban on DeepSeek across the EU. Mr. Matt Holman - AI expert and lawyer at Cripps (UK) commented: "Because the data law in Germany is similar to other EU countries and the UK, the possibility of expanding the ban is well-founded."
Apple and Google have not yet released any information about this requirement. However, if the two tech giants remove DeepSeek from their global app warehouses, it would be almost the equivalent of an EU ban.
Notably, this is not the first time DeepSeek has been in trouble in Europe. In February 2025, the Italian data protection agency asked the company to block the application in this country. In January 2025, the Irish side also opened an investigation into DeepSeek's data processing.
