Germany is banning DeepSeek from app stores: Report

Germany's data protection commissioner has asked Apple and Google to remove DeepSeek, the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) application from their app stores, citing concerns over the illegal transfer of personal data to China, according to a recent report by Reuters.

The request follows similar regulatory moves in other European countries and comes amid growing scrutiny of the Beijing-based AI company's data handling practices. 

In a recent statement, German Commissioner Meike Kamp said DeepSeek had failed to demonstrate that user data collected in Germany is protected to standards equivalent to those required under European Union law.

According to its privacy policy, DeepSeek stores data such as user prompts and uploaded files on servers located in China. Kamp warned that within the Chinese legal framework, authorities hold broad access rights to data controlled by domestic firms, as per the Reuters report.

The Commissioner's office approached DeepSeek in May, urging the company to either comply with EU data transfer regulations or withdraw its application from the German market. After the company failed to take action, the commissioner opted to move forward with enforcement, according to the report.

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The German move adds to a growing list of restrictions on DeepSeek across Europe. Italy previously removed the app from its digital marketplaces due to insufficient transparency around personal data use. The Netherlands has banned it on government devices, while Belgium has advised public officials to avoid the platform pending further analysis. In Spain, a consumer rights group has called for an investigation, although no official ban is currently in place. The British government has left the decision to individual users.