Bipartisan Effort Seeks to Protect National Security Amid Concerns Over Chinese Data Collection
WASHINGTON—A new bill set to be introduced Thursday was initiated based on an analysis by Ivan Tsarynny , CEO of Feroot Security, which uncovered serious security risks posed by the DeepSeek chatbot application. The findings by Feroot Security, first reported by the Associated Press, prompted lawmakers to take immediate action. The bill seeks to ban the app from government-owned devices due to concerns that it may transmit user data to the Chinese government.
The legislation, spearheaded by Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), mirrors previous congressional actions taken against TikTok, which was banned from government devices over similar national security fears. The move could mark the first step toward broader action restricting DeepSeek’s operations in the U.S.
“This should be a no-brainer in terms of actions we should take immediately to prevent our enemy from getting information from our government,” said Gottheimer.
DeepSeek, a rapidly emerging Chinese AI company, has gained significant traction in the U.S. since its launch last month. Its chatbot quickly became the most downloaded app in the country, thanks in part to the company’s decision to release its AI models as open-source code. This strategy facilitated widespread adoption among consumers, businesses, and developers.
However, cybersecurity experts warn that the app may pose an unprecedented security risk. A recent analysis by Ivan Tsarynny, CEO of Feroot Security, revealed that DeepSeek contains hidden code capable of sending user login data to China Mobile, a state-owned telecommunications company that has been banned from operating in the U.S. Tsarynny’s findings were first reported by the Associated Press.
“Our personal information is being sent to China, there is no denial, and the DeepSeek tool is collecting everything that American users connect to it,” Tsarynny stated in an interview.
These alarming revelations prompted LaHood and Gottheimer, both senior members of a House Intelligence subcommittee, to draft the legislation. Their bill seeks to ensure that DeepSeek’s application is not permitted on any federal devices, preventing sensitive government data from potentially being accessed by foreign entities.
“Under no circumstances can we allow” such data vulnerabilities to persist, LaHood emphasized, stressing the importance of national security safeguards against foreign-controlled applications.
The proposed legislation adds to growing bipartisan efforts to regulate foreign technology companies that may pose cybersecurity threats to the U.S. government and its citizens. If successful, the bill could set the stage for further scrutiny of DeepSeek’s operations within the broader American technology landscape.
