‘The transfer of user data by DeepSeek to China is unlawful’: Germany calls for Google and Apple to remove the AI app from their stores

2025-07-06 17:42:00
www.pcgamer.com

ChatGPT rival DeepSeek may be in deep trouble in the European Union after the Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection demanded Google and Apple remove the AI app from their stores.

On June 27, Meike Kamp, Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, announced in a press release that her office is calling on Google and Apple to remove the DeepSeek app after finding it in violation of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The move comes after Kamp previously requested DeepSeek remove its app in Germany voluntarily, or change its practices to protect German users’ data, which DeepSeek failed to do.

Kamp explained in the press release: “The transfer of user data by DeepSeek to China is unlawful. DeepSeek has not been able to provide my office with convincing evidence that data of German users is protected in China at a level equivalent to that of the European Union. Chinese authorities have extensive access rights to personal data held by Chinese companies.”

“In addition, DeepSeek users in China do not have enforceable rights and effective legal remedies as guaranteed in the European Union. I have therefore informed Google and Apple, as operators of the largest app platforms, of the violations and expect a prompt review of a blocking.”

This doesn’t mean DeepSeek is going to immediately disappear from the App Store or the Google Play Store. Google and Apple need to analyze Kamp’s request and decide how they’re going to handle the situation. If the app is ultimately removed, it may only be blocked in Germany or the EU broadly, but likely won’t impact users in other parts of the world.

Even so, millions of people could find themselves searching for a new favorite AI app considering DeepSeek has over 50 million downloads on the Google Play Store as of July 2025.

Regardless, some users may want to delete the app anyway in light of this news. As Kamp’s press release explains, “According to its own website, [DeepSeek] processes extensive personal data of users, including all text entries, chat histories, and uploaded files, as well as information about location, devices used, and networks.”

The fact that Kamp’s office is doubling down on its efforts to get DeepSeek removed in Germany, or get it to offer data protection in line with EU standards, should probably worry users who are concerned about their data privacy no matter where they live. Then again, the same could be said for most AI and social media apps⁠—for instance, TechCrunch called Meta’s AI app “a privacy disaster.”

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