China’s AI giant DeepSeek is under the microscope as a key House Committee launches a probe into its handling of U.S. data and alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee demanded answers from DeepSeek about what American data has been used to train its AI models. Lawmakers are raising alarms that companies like DeepSeek could be siphoning off not just personal info, but also opening up new data security holes in the U.S. economy.

"DeepSeek admits to sending Americans’ personal information to servers in China, where it is undoubtedly accessed by officials connected to the Chinese Communist Party," said Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie and Representative Gus Bilirakis. The duo didn’t mince words about their concerns that DeepSeek’s relationship with Chinese state actors could put U.S. data—and national security—at risk.

According to DeepSeek’s own privacy policy, user data—including every question and chat sent to its AI, along with the generated answers—is stored on "secure servers" in China. For American users, that’s not exactly comforting.

With these fears swirling, states like New York, Texas, and Virginia have already banned DeepSeek from government devices. The situation is starting to look a lot like the TikTok saga: a Chinese company’s tech goes viral in the U.S., then the backlash over data security and CCP ties prompts bans and political headaches. TikTok’s future in the U.S. is still up in the air, and apparently DeepSeek might be next in line for the hot seat.

It’s not just the U.S. hitting the panic button. Canada, Australia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Italy have all blocked DeepSeek, citing security risks. In February, South Korea even accused DeepSeek of sharing user data with ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok.

The Congressional letter also highlighted concerns over Chinese tech firms leveraging U.S. technology to give their AI models a competitive edge. Reports suggest DeepSeek trained its latest R1 model by "distilling" outputs from American rivals—a move that’s ruffled more than a few feathers in Silicon Valley.

Committee Chairman Guthrie is pressing DeepSeek to disclose what data it uses to train its AI, including any proprietary or personal American info, and to clarify if that data is shared with Chinese state entities. Lawmakers also want to know if DeepSeek’s AI responses are tweaked to fit CCP talking points. If true, that’s a serious level of propaganda with a digital twist.

DeepSeek’s explosive growth is rattling the U.S. tech world, with its AI chatbot reportedly rivaling OpenAI’s ChatGPT but costing much less to develop. The House Energy and Commerce Committee, which already played a major role in the TikTok drama, is now steering this investigation. Just last month, a Congressional report claimed DeepSeek not only funnels American data to China but also shapes its answers to serve CCP propaganda.

The clock is ticking: DeepSeek has until May 8 to answer Congress’s questions. Something tells me this showdown is just getting started.

Data Privacy News

House Committee Probes China’s DeepSeek Over U.S. Data Harvesting and CCP Influence