Deepseek AI Has Quickly Gained Popularity — But Is It Safe for People To Use?

In case you've been living under a rock, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are taking the world by storm. The latest sensation is DeepSeek, a Chinese-developed app that's quickly captivated the nation and sparked particular interest in Wall Street and Silicon Valley.

On Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, the app's rapid rise sent shockwaves through the tech stock market, fueling debates among political and tech leaders about how the United States can keep its edge in the AI race.

Now, the question on everyone's mind is: Is it even safe to use DeepSeek? Here's what you need to know.

Although some officials, including President Donald Trump, have not raised concerns about DeepSeek being unsafe or a threat to national security, others view the app more cautiously. The Australian government, for one, has voiced privacy concerns.

On January 27, Australia's science minister, Ed Husic, told ABC News via BBC that many questions remain unanswered, particularly regarding "data and privacy management."

He then warned the public, "I would be very careful about that, these type of issues need to be weighed up carefully."

Emily Taylor, chief executive of Oxford Information Labs, also raised a red flag.

She told BBC, "For any openly available AI model, with a web or app interface — including but not limited to DeepSeek — the prompts, or questions that are asked of the AI, then become available to the makers of that model, as are the answers. ... So, anyone working on confidential or national security areas needs to be aware of those risks."

Dr. Richard Whittle from the University of Salford echoed similar concerns. He pointed out the data and privacy issues surrounding DeepSeek but noted that similar issues exist with U.S.-based models as well.

"Consumers should always be wary, especially in the hype and fear of missing out on a new, highly popular, app," he advised.

Like many apps, DeepSeek has the potential to collect and store a vast amount of personal information, including everything from your conversations to technical details about your device and internet connection.

According to DeepSeek's privacy policy, the app collects and stores personal data on "secure servers" located in China. This can include:

• Your email, phone number, and birthdate, which are required when creating an account.
• Any user input, including text, audio, uploaded files, and chat histories.
• Technical data such as your device's model, operating system, IP address, and even your "keystroke patterns."

All this data is supposedly used to improve the app's "safety, security, and stability" — but it's also shared with third parties, including service providers, advertisers, and affiliates, and stored "for as long as necessary."

This information is reportedly to improve DeepSeek by enhancing its "safety, security, and stability." The app will then share this information with others, such as service providers, advertising partners, and its corporate group, which will be kept "for as long as necessary."

Even more concerning, The Washington Post recently reported that DeepSeek appears to be censoring content in line with China's strict internet regulations. This includes blocking mentions of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

On the bright side, DeepSeek has released a version of its AI model that can be modified and run locally by other developers. This means that, with the right setup, outside users can make the app more secure and bypass some of its censorship restrictions.