United States Bans Deepseek, Beijing Protests

Key Takeaways

1The United States has banned the use of Deepseek software in civilian agencies and ordered its withdrawal, including for third-party solutions based on its models

2Beijing criticizes the decision, demands its reversal, and announces countermeasures

3China maintains strict restrictions on Western AI services and strengthens its own controls

Why it matters : This confrontation illustrates the growing technological rivalry between the United States and China over data security and control of AI technologies.

Washington has ordered the removal of Deepseek software from the systems of civil agencies and extended the ban to solutions based on its models. Beijing demands the lifting of the measure, promises countermeasures, and is simultaneously advancing its own control tools, while ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are not approved in China.

Beijing has imposed intelligence support since 2017 and is preparing controls

China's National Intelligence Law of 2017 requires companies and citizens to support the country's intelligence services. The United States, for its part, links security and economic policy through strict export controls on chips. According to the New York Times, Beijing proposed last week to establish its own export controls and licenses for AI technologies, a move similar to that of the United States. Both countries invoke national security to justify the protection of their markets and technologies.

Washington orders the removal of Deepseek and bans future purchases

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently required federal civil agencies to remove all Deepseek products from their IT infrastructures. This measure also applies to software offered by other publishers that rely on Deepseek's open-source models and prohibits any future purchases of these solutions. Washington explains this decision by the fear that Beijing could access sensitive data through Deepseek.

Le brief IA que lisent les pros

Le brief IA que les pros lisent chaque soir

Les 7 actus IA du jour, décryptées en 5 min. Gratuit.

Inclus dès l'inscription : notre sélection des meilleurs guides & comparatifs IA.

Choisissez votre rythme

Gratuit · Pas de spam · Désabonnement en 1 clic

The Chinese government contests the ban and promises measures

China has criticized the U.S. decision to ban Deepseek. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United States is abusing the concept of national security. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce demands the lifting of the ban and has announced the implementation of firm countermeasures. Beijing is thus preparing a political response to the U.S. measure.

In China, Western AI services remain blocked and local options are favored

ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini have not received approval in China. Since 2023, the Cyberspace Administration has been responsible for overseeing AI services, which must adhere to political guidelines, a requirement that applies to the entire sector. Public administrations and state-owned enterprises must gradually replace foreign equipment and software with local alternatives. Some reports also mention limitations regarding the use of iPhones by government agents. AI models developed in China exhibit political bias, avoid certain topics, and reproduce state propaganda more prominently than their Western counterparts. Economically, American companies specializing in AI, the FBI, and other agencies have repeatedly accused Chinese firms of massively replicating American models, which China denies.