Yazılar

Europe’s Privacy Watchdogs to Discuss DeepSeek Amid Data Privacy Concerns

/in /tarafından

European Union data protection authorities are set to discuss concerns surrounding the Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek during their monthly meeting on Tuesday, according to the meeting agenda. The discussions arise amid growing scrutiny of how DeepSeek handles personal data, especially regarding European users.

DeepSeek made waves globally last month by showcasing its ability to compete with major U.S. tech firms in human-like reasoning technology, while offering services at a significantly lower cost. However, concerns have been raised by several European privacy regulators about whether the company is using personal data from European citizens to train its AI models and if such data could be transferred to China.

The European Data Protection Board (EDPB), based in Brussels, has scheduled a session to address DeepSeek’s activities. During the meeting, national data protection authorities will share information on the actions they’ve taken in response to DeepSeek’s operations. Marie-Laure Denis, president of the French privacy watchdog CNIL, emphasized that the goal of the meeting is to harmonize responses and share insights on how to address privacy risks posed by the company.

The CNIL confirmed that it had reached out to DeepSeek for clarification on how the company’s AI system operates and whether there are any potential privacy risks for users. Ireland’s data protection authority has also sought further information from the Chinese startup. Meanwhile, Italy’s data watchdog has taken more drastic action, ordering DeepSeek to block its chatbot in the country due to non-compliance with privacy concerns over its policy.

Europe has been known for its strong stance on data privacy, with its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) considered one of the strictest data protection laws in the world. The scrutiny of DeepSeek highlights the region’s commitment to safeguarding user privacy amid the rapid growth of AI technologies.

French Privacy Watchdog to Investigate DeepSeek Over AI and Data Protection

/in /tarafından

France’s data privacy authority, the CNIL, announced on Thursday that it will question DeepSeek to assess the workings of its AI system and potential privacy risks for users. The Chinese AI startup gained international attention after revealing that training its DeepSeek-V3 model required less than $6 million in Nvidia H800 computing power.

A CNIL spokesperson confirmed that its AI department is currently analyzing DeepSeek’s tool and will engage with the company to understand its system and data protection measures. The French regulator is among the most active in Europe, having previously fined tech giants like Google and Meta for privacy violations.

DeepSeek is also under scrutiny in other parts of Europe. Italy’s data protection authority recently requested details on its handling of personal data, while Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has inquired about data processing practices related to Irish users.

The European Union maintains strict privacy protections under its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), widely regarded as one of the world’s most comprehensive data privacy laws. GDPR violations can result in fines of up to 4% of a company’s global revenue. Additionally, new EU AI regulations impose transparency obligations on high-risk AI models, with penalties ranging from 7.5 million euros (or 1.5% of turnover) to 35 million euros (or 7% of global turnover), depending on the severity of violations.

As regulatory scrutiny intensifies, DeepSeek faces mounting pressure to demonstrate compliance with European data protection standards.