Major Australian Universities, Telcos, and Banks Block CCP AI DeepSeek

The Group of Eight—seen as Australia’s Ivy League—has banned the use of the technology, citing the need to protect sensitive research and data.

The DeepSeek logo is seen at the offices of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek in Hangzhou, in China's eastern Zhejiang Province, on Feb. 5, 2025. STR/AFP via Getty Images

A collective of Australia’s leading universities, known as the Group of Eight (Go8), has blocked staff and students from using the Chinese-owned artificial intelligence app DeepSeek.

This follows a similar prohibition across all of the Australian government a week ago. The federal government declared DeepSeek “an unacceptable risk to the Australian government technology,” with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke emphasising swift action to protect national security.