European regulators have launched investigations into China’s DeepSeek AI amid growing concerns over the safety of European user data. Italian, Belgian, and EU authorities are probing whether the AI model complies with strict European data protection laws.
Italy’s data protection authority, Garante, opened a compliance investigation into Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence and Beijing DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence on Tuesday. The companies have 20 days to clarify how they process European data under GDPR. Authorities are specifically examining what data is collected, how it is used, and whether it has been exploited to train AI models.
Belgium’s data protection authority also received a complaint from consumer group Testachats over similar allegations. The European Commission is reviewing whether DeepSeek AI aligns with broader EU tech regulations.
Professor Theodore Christakis, a data law expert, stated that DeepSeek AI sends data to China, making GDPR compliance mandatory. However, he noted that the company’s privacy policy does not even mention GDPR, signalling a potential legal breach.
The probe follows concerns raised by consumer advocacy groups Euroconsumers and Altroconsumo. They questioned whether European data stored in China could be accessed by Chinese authorities, given the country’s strict surveillance laws. Under EU law, data transfers to third countries require robust protection guarantees, which China currently lacks.
DeepSeek AI has emerged as a major competitor to US-based OpenAI, boasting high speed and low costs. However, concerns over data privacy and transparency have placed it under intense regulatory scrutiny. European officials stress that AI companies operating in the EU must fully comply with stringent data protection rules.
