Europe’s privacy regulators signaled potential future actions against the Chinese Artificial Intelligence startup DeepSeek, emphasizing ongoing concerns regarding its rapid rise in popularity. This statement was made by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) on Tuesday.
During a regular monthly meeting, national privacy regulators reviewed DeepSeek’s practices in light of recent developments, including Italy’s decision to block the chatbot due to insufficient information about its handling of personal data. Regulators from France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, among others, have also raised inquiries into DeepSeek’s data collection methods.
A spokesperson for the EDPB indicated that several Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) had initiated actions against DeepSeek, with the possibility of additional measures in the pipeline.
In response to the concerns surrounding DeepSeek, the EDPB announced an expansion of a task force established in April 2023, which was originally focused solely on OpenAI’s ChatGPT, supported by Microsoft. The broader initiative aims to enhance cooperation and information-sharing pertaining to enforcement actions related to artificial intelligence.
The spokesperson added that members of the EDPB emphasized the importance of coordinating the responses of DPAs on urgent and delicate matters, leading to the formation of a rapid response team.
Europe continues to take a leading role in safeguarding privacy rights, bolstered by its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which has been in effect since 2018 and is regarded as the world’s strictest privacy legislation.
© Thomson Reuters 2025
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