A major data privacy storm is brewing in Europe as Berlin’s top data protection official has sounded the alarm over Chinese AI app DeepSeek. Meike Kamp, Berlin’s Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, has formally reported DeepSeek to Apple and Google, accusing the app of illegally transferring sensitive user data to China.
According to Kamp, DeepSeek failed to provide “convincing evidence” that it safeguards personal information in line with strict EU data protection rules. The core concern? Chinese companies operate under laws that grant authorities broad, often opaque access to personal data, a red flag for European regulators.
Kamp revealed that her office had warned DeepSeek to either comply with EU data transfer laws or face removal from Germany. But the Chinese firm has reportedly ignored the directive. Now, tech giants Apple and Google are under pressure to act.
This isn’t the first backlash DeepSeek has faced. Italy banned the app from its digital stores earlier this year, citing similar privacy risks. Consumer watchdogs have been vocal, flagging that DeepSeek, developed and operated entirely from China, stores collected user data on servers based in its home country, fueling fears of surveillance and misuse.
