Australia bans AI chatbot DeepSeek on government devices
Australia has banned the use of DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, on all government devices, citing security concerns.
According to an official order quoted by Dawn, the Australian government stated that DeepSeek poses “an unacceptable level of security risk.” Stephanie Foster, Secretary to the Department of Home Affairs, confirmed the decision after a threat and risk analysis was conducted.
This move follows similar restrictions imposed by Taiwan and Italy, where authorities have also banned DeepSeek from government use due to security concerns.
Removal of DeepSeek from Government Devices
Australian officials have instructed all non-corporate Commonwealth entities to identify and remove any existing DeepSeek products, applications, or web services from all government systems and mobile devices.
With this directive, the access, use, and installation of DeepSeek on government-owned devices is now prohibited. The ban underscores growing concerns about potential cybersecurity threats posed by AI technologies linked to foreign entities.
As governments worldwide continue to evaluate the risks associated with AI tools, Australia’s decision signals a strong stance on cybersecurity and data protection in public sector operations.
