Germany Requests Google and Apple to Remove DeepSeek AI from Application Marketplaces

The Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection has officially requested the removal of the DeepSeek AI application from Google Play and Apple App Store, citing violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The commissioner, Meike Kamp, asserts that DeepSeek’s parent company, Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence, based in Beijing, unlawfully gathers data from German users and processes it on servers located in China.

Under GDPR and specifically Article 46(1), any personal data collected from individuals within the European Union must be safeguarded in accordance with the standards of the regulation. However, given China’s less stringent data protection laws and its history of extensive data access requests from private entities, it appears improbable that DeepSeek has established adequate legal protections to ensure compliance with EU standards.

The commissioner noted, “The company has no branch within the European Union (EU).” Furthermore, she stated, “The service is available to users in Germany, among other countries, through apps in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store with German-language descriptions, making it subject to the provisions of the GDPR.”

DeepSeek emerged as a notable AI platform in January 2025 following the launch of its third-generation chatbot, which was acclaimed for its extensive capabilities. Despite the surge in its popularity, the platform faced significant cybersecurity challenges that exposed its insecure operational practices, which diminished its reputation within the global AI sector.

The DeepSeek AI application has achieved 50 million downloads on Google Play and garnered numerous ratings on Apple’s App Store. The Berlin Commissioner previously sought voluntary compliance from DeepSeek to remove its apps from German app stores on May 6 of this year, a request that was met with refusal.

Consequently, the Berlin authorities invoked Article 16 of the Digital Services Act (DSA), permitting them to report illegal content on platforms to the relevant operators, in this case, Google and Apple. Both tech giants are now tasked with reviewing the commissioner’s report and determining whether DeepSeek AI will remain available in their app stores.

Although this action was initiated by a state-level regulator rather than the federal government, it enjoys coordination with other regulatory bodies from Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Bremen, in addition to the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur).

Inquiries have been made to Google, Apple, and DeepSeek for comments regarding this situation, with updates to follow upon receiving their responses.