Bipartisan Lawmakers Lead State-Level Push to Ban DeepSeek Over Security Concerns

The CCP will ‘exploit any tool at its disposal to undermine our national security, spew harmful disinformation, and collect data on Americans,’ they warned.

The DeepSeek app is seen on a cellphone in Beijing on Jan. 28, 2025. Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) sent a letter to more than 40 state governors on March 3, urging them to ban DeepSeek from government-issued devices because of concerns that the Chinese chatbot collects sensitive data.

In a letter to 47 governors and the mayor of Washington, the lawmakers warned that DeepSeek is designed to harvest user information, citing risks to data privacy and cybersecurity, and potential access to government records.