Italy’s data protection authority, Garante per la protezione dei dati personali (GPDP), blocked the Chinese AI model DeepSeek because of privacy issues faced by users and ethical considerations. The regulatory body carried out an investigation into how DeepSeek manages and processes user data to determine the transfer of personal information to Chinese servers.
The Chinese AI model DeepSeek achieved high popularity on the Apple App Store, but its recent launch triggered concerns about data exploitation. The analysis of experts indicates that sensitive user information could face unauthorized access and storage, which breaches the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) laws. The concerns intensify regarding both misinformation distribution and states manipulating data because China maintains strict policies for user data protection. The Italian government remains decisive regarding AI regulatory measures. The Italian government implemented a temporary ban against ChatGPT due to privacy infringements in the year 2023 which opened an opportunity for OpenAI to comply with GDPR requirements to retrieve full service operations. Italy maintains its position on AI governance through the DeepSeek case, which compels companies to demonstrate their data operations openly.
The GPDP demanded DeepSeek’s parent company to provide complete details about its data origins in addition to its legal collection justifications and data storage protocols within a 20-day timeframe. A failure to pass compliance inspections will result in a permanent ban alongside financial consequences for the AI model.
The decision threatens to establish a new standard for European countries to perform thorough examinations of Chinese AI model operations. The EU is presently developing its AI Act to implement stringent rules affecting all AI companies operating globally. The Italian move to prohibit AI-based systems signifies an expanding trend to build secure AI systems while protecting user privacy in society.
