The Chinese artificial intelligence application DeepSeek was inaccessible in the Apple and Google app stores in Italy on Wednesday. This outage came shortly after the Italian data protection authority sought clarification regarding the app’s utilization of personal data.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has also called for information from DeepSeek concerning its data processing practices relating to users in Ireland.
DeepSeek recently introduced a free AI assistant, which the company claims operates with reduced data consumption at a lower cost compared to existing services. By the start of the week, this new assistant had surpassed US competitor ChatGPT in terms of downloads from Apple’s App Store, causing concern among investors in the technology sector.
Pasquale Stanzione, the head of the Italian data regulator, informed the news agency ANSA that it was unclear whether the app’s withdrawal was connected to their inquiries. “The news of the withdrawal of the app was only a few hours ago,” he stated.
Stanzione emphasized that the agency would conduct a thorough investigation to determine compliance with GDPR regulations, the European Union’s data protection framework.
The Garante, as Italy’s data regulator is known, indicated on Tuesday its intention to discern details regarding the personal data collected by DeepSeek, including the sources, purposes, legal basis for collection, and whether any data is stored in China. DeepSeek and its associated companies have been given a 20-day timeframe to provide this information.
Additionally, Stanzione pointed out concerns regarding the protection of underage users, as well as issues related to bias and potential interference in electoral processes.
Users in Italy encountered a notice on Apple’s App Store stating that the app was “currently not available in the country or area you are in.” Similarly, the Google app service indicated that the download was “not supported” in Italy.
However, it appears that Italian individuals who had previously downloaded the app could still access it. The application remained available for download and functional in other EU nations and the United Kingdom on Wednesday.
In Germany, a spokesperson for the interior ministry relayed that the government was actively monitoring AI applications for possible interference, particularly in light of the upcoming national elections on February 23. “Of course, the security authorities are concerned with AI applications and possible manipulation, possible influence on the formation of public opinion through AI applications, especially now in view of the Bundestag elections,” the spokesperson commented, without identifying any specific AI tools.
Italy’s Garante is recognized as one of the most proactive regulators in Europe regarding AI applications. Two years prior, it briefly prohibited the use of Microsoft-backed ChatGPT due to suspected violations of EU privacy standards.
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission serves as the primary EU regulator for major U.S. internet companies, given the location of their European operations in Ireland. However, DeepSeek has not identified Ireland as its EU headquarters.
© Thomson Reuters 2025
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