NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – The new China-based artificial intelligence app DeepSeek has been banned on New York government devices and networks, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday.
Hochul said she issued the ban over “serious concerns” about DeepSeek’s “connection to foreign government surveillance and censorship, including how DeepSeek can be used to harvest user data and steal technology secrets.”
The ban is similar to a ban on TikTok that the state quietly adopted in 2020. It also prohibits the popular social media app on state equipment.
“Public safety is my top priority and we’re working aggressively to protect New Yorkers from foreign and domestic threats,” Hochul said in a statement.
“New York will continue fighting to combat cyber threats, ensure the privacy and safety of our data, and safeguard against state-sponsored censorship,” she said.
The directive will prevent the download of DeepSeek on government devices under the state’s Acceptable Use of Artificial Intelligence Technologies policy that was established at Hochul’s direction last year.
“Safeguarding New Yorker’s critical infrastructure, privacy, freedom from censorship are central pillars of Governor Hochul’s security and resilience agenda,” said Colin Ahern, New York’s chief cyber officer.
“This action today demonstrates we will continue to defend New York from cyber threats,” Ahern said.
DeepSeek—owned by High-Flyer, a stock trading firm based in China—skyrocketed in popularity last month, taking tech stocks for a ride amid fears the startup had caught up with U.S. companies at the forefront of generative AI, including ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, at a fraction of the cost.
Last Thursday in Washington, a bipartisan duo in the U.S. House proposed legislation to ban DeepSeek from federal devices, similar to the policy already in place federally for TikTok.
Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Darin LaHood, R-Ill., introduced the “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act," which would ban federal employees from using the app on government-owned electronics. They too cited the Chinese government's ability to use the app for surveillance and misinformation as reasons to keep it away from federal networks.
“The Chinese Communist Party has made it abundantly clear that it will exploit any tool at its disposal to undermine our national security, spew harmful disinformation, and collect data on Americans," Gottheimer said in a statement. “We simply can’t risk the CCP infiltrating the devices of our government officials and jeopardizing our national security."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.