Deepseek Faces Ban from German App Stores Due to GDPR Violations

The Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information has deemed Deepseek to be illegal content under Article 16 of the Digital Services Act (DSA). Consequently, Apple and Google are now required to review the report and decide whether to block the app in Germany.

Deepseek is operated by Hangzhou Deepseek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd., a company based in Beijing with no branches in the European Union. The app is available in German and targets users in Germany, which makes it subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the EU.

According to the company, Deepseek processes a wide variety of personal data, including input text, chat histories, uploaded files, location data, and information about users’ devices and networks. This data is transmitted to processors in China and stored on their servers.

The Berlin Data Protection Authority stated that Deepseek violates Article 46(1) of the GDPR. This regulation allows the transfer of personal data to third countries only when they provide a level of protection comparable to that in the EU. China has not received an adequacy decision from the European Union, and the company has failed to ensure compliance with the necessary security measures mandated by the GDPR.

Deepseek could not convincingly demonstrate that user data would be reliably protected as it is in EU countries. In China, authorities have broad access to personal data, and users lack the legal rights or effective legal remedies guaranteed in the EU.

On May 6, 2025, the Berlin Data Protection Authority previously demanded that the company voluntarily remove the app from German app stores, cease data transmission to China, or comply with legal requirements for international data transfers. Since Deepseek did not meet this demand, Apple and Google were officially informed about the app.

This action was coordinated with data protection authorities in Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Bremen, as well as with the coordination center for digital services of the Federal Network Agency, which is responsible for enforcing the DSA in Germany.

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