The artificial intelligence chatbot DeepSeek was removed from Apple and Google's app stores in Italy on Wednesday (29). The decision came after a request for clarification from the country's Data Protection Authority (GDPR).
A notice on the App Store says the app is “not available in your country or region,” while the Google Play Store says the download is “not supported” in Italy.
Data Usage Investigation
On Tuesday (28), the GPDP questioned DeepSeek about the use of personal data. The agency requested information about what data is collected, its sources and purposes. It also asked for details about the legal basis for processing this information and whether the data is stored on servers in China.
The regulator gave Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence and Beijing DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence 20 days to respond to the requests.
History of restrictions in Italy
DeepSeek, based in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, has recently drawn attention for having been developed at a lower cost than its competitors, impacting Wall Street.
Italy has a history of cracking down on data use in AI. In December, the GPDP fined OpenAI €15 million for misusing personal data in ChatGPT. The investigation began in March 2023, when Italy became the first Western country to temporarily block the tool.
FOLLOW-US
