Texas Bans Chinese AI Model App Deepseek, Over Security And Privacy Concerns

Texas, a constituent state of the United States of America, has announced the ban of the Chinese Open-source AI model app Deepseek, citing national security and data privacy risks.

The move is part of a broader effort to curb potential foreign cyber threats and restrict access to Chinese technology within government institutions.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, announced the decision, emphasizing the need to protect the state’s digital infrastructure from foreign influence. The ban also includes other Chinese apps such as RedNote, Lemon8, and stock-trading platforms like Moomoo, Tiger Brokers, and Webull.

“Texas is committed to safeguarding its critical infrastructure from foreign adversaries seeking to exploit our data. We will not allow Chinese Al and social media applications to compromise our security”, he stated.

Texas becomes the first state in the U.S. to ban Deepseek. The ban comes as several Chinese apps become more popularized in the U.S and globally. The open-source Al chatbot has become the top competition for similar brands in the West. At the same time, the app’s legality and data collection protocol was quickly brought into question. The U.S. Navy, Congress, the Pentagon, the Finance Ministry, and NASA have also banned the use of the AI app, all similarly sighting privacy and security concerns.

Recall that the U.S. Navy, in January 2025, issued a warning to its members to avoid using DeepSeek in any capacity, citing potential security and ethical concerns. In a warning issued by email, it instructed all team members not to use the AI chatbot for any work-related tasks or personal use, due to the model’s origin and usage.

The announcement followed DeepSeek’s release of its powerful new reasoning AI model called R1, which rivals OpenAI ChatGPT. The DeepSeek app has surged to the top of Apple’s App Store, dethroning OpenAI’s ChatGPT, as it was lauded for its performance and reasoning capabilities. However, the popularity of Deepseek alarmed national security experts given the Chinese government’s requirements for domestic firms to share data with the PRC.

Dewardric McNeal, managing director and senior policy analyst at risk management firm Longview Global said that the amount of data and information that bad actors in China could harvest from DeepSeek is 20 times worse than what could be collected from a Google search, says, which advises companies on China strategy.

There are obvious risks, he said, such as personal banking or health information that can be stolen, and prominent cybersecurity firms are already reporting vulnerabilities in DeepSeek. Apart from its widespread usage in the U.S., DeepSeek has also surged in global popularity, particularly. Its rapid rise has fueled further scrutiny from other countries.

Several countries, such as Italy and Australia, have already banned government use of the Chinese AI app due to security concerns. The privacy watchdogs of countries like Ireland, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands have also raised red flags about DeepSeek’s data collection practices.

A primary issue is the apprehension that DeepSeek’s data collection practices may be overly broad, potentially gathering sensitive user information that could be accessed by the Chinese government. This concern is rooted in China’s national security laws, which can compel companies to share data with the government. Countries fear that this access could lead to the misuse of personal data, including surveillance, profiling, or even manipulation.