Deepseek Faces Ban on Google and Apple App Stores in Italy

Deepseek, the popular Chinese AI app, has been banned from both the Google and Apple App Stores in Italy. This move comes after the Italian data protection authority, Garante, raised concerns about how the app handles personal data.

The situation started when the Italian regulator asked Deepseek for information on the personal data it collects. Garante is specifically looking into which data is being gathered, where it’s coming from, why it’s being collected, and whether the data is being stored in China. The company was given 20 days to provide answers.

Pasquale Stanzione, the head of Garante, commented, saying they were unsure whether the ban was directly related to their investigation, but they would be looking into whether Deepseek is following the rules set out by the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Although the app is no longer available for download in Italy, Italian users who had already installed it can still use it. On both the Apple and Google stores, Italian customers have seen messages like “currently not available in the country or area you are in” and “not supported in your region.”

This isn’t just an issue in Italy. Other countries are also keeping an eye on Deepseek. In Ireland, the Data Protection Commission is looking into how the app handles data for Irish users. 

And in Germany, the government is monitoring AI apps like Deepseek, worried about their potential to influence public opinion ahead of the national elections.