Berlin’s Commissioner for Data Protection is taking a decisive stance against the AI application DeepSeek.
On June 27, Meike Kamp, the Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, issued a press announcement calling for Google and Apple to remove the DeepSeek app, citing breaches of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
This action follows Kamp’s earlier requests for DeepSeek to either voluntarily remove its app from the German market or adjust its operational practices to ensure data protection for users in Germany—actions that DeepSeek neglected to implement.
Kamp stated, “The transfer of user data by DeepSeek to China is unlawful. DeepSeek has not provided convincing evidence that the data of German users is secured in China to the same standards as in the European Union. Chinese authorities can access personal data maintained by Chinese companies extensively.”
She further noted, “DeepSeek users in China lack enforceable rights and effective legal remedies as guaranteed in the EU. Therefore, I have formally requested Google and Apple, as the primary app platform operators, to review the violations and consider blocking DeepSeek.”
While this doesn’t guarantee the app’s immediate removal from the App Store or Google Play Store, it compels Google and Apple to assess Kamp’s demand. If the app is ultimately prohibited, the decision may apply solely to Germany or the broader EU, and is unlikely to affect users located elsewhere.
Despite these developments, DeepSeek remains popular with over 50 million downloads from the Google Play Store as of July 2025.
Users concerned about privacy might consider deleting the app, as indicated by Kamp, who advised that DeepSeek processes extensive personal information, including all text entries, chat data, uploaded files, and location, devices, and network information utilized.
Mitigating targets for data privacy might extend to other AI and social media applications as well, as seen in public critiques of Meta’s AI app, branded as “a privacy disaster” by TechCrunch.
