Taiwan has prohibited government agencies and critical infrastructure facilities from using AI services provided by Chinese firm DeepSeek, citing national security risks.
The Ministry of Digital Affairs announced the ban on Friday, stating that DeepSeek’s operations involve “cross-border transmission and information leakage,” making it a potential threat to national information security.
“DeepSeek AI service is a Chinese product,” the ministry said, emphasising the risks associated with its use in sensitive sectors.
DeepSeek, which recently launched its R1 chatbot, is a top rival of AI companies in the United States while operating on a significantly smaller budget.
However, the startup is facing increasing scrutiny from multiple governments.

Countries including South Korea, Ireland, France, Australia, and Italy have raised concerns over its data practices.
Earlier this week, Italy’s data regulator launched an investigation into DeepSeek’s operations and blocked it from processing Italian users’ data. South Korea and Ireland have also requested clarifications on how the company manages personal information.
The concerns come despite strict US export controls preventing Chinese firms from accessing advanced AI chips, which are crucial for developing state-of-the-art machine learning models.
Taiwan has long accused China of using cyberattacks and other “grey zone” tactics to exert influence over the self-governed island, which Beijing claims as its territory.
Since 2019, Taiwan has banned government agencies from using technology products that pose security threats.
DeepSeek’s rapid rise has also sparked alarm on Wall Street, as its AI capabilities appear to match US-developed models at a fraction of the cost.