Opposition lawmaker calls for government clarification on DeepSeek ban

Taipei, Feb. 2 (CNA) An opposition lawmaker has urged the government to clarify the scope of its ban on the AI chatbot developed by Chinese startup DeepSeek, while ruling DPP lawmakers have called for greater caution over the use of DeepSeek products.

Kuomintang (KMT) Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) criticized the Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) on Saturday for failing to provide sufficient explanation when it announced the ban on Jan. 31 citing concerns over potential data leaks.

According to MODA, DeepSeek AI is a Chinese ICT product, and the government warned that possible data leaks could pose a national cybersecurity risk.

The ban applies to employees of central and local government agencies, public schools, state-owned enterprises and semi-official organizations, as well as those working on critical infrastructure projects and in government-endowed foundations, MODA said in a press release.

However, MODA did not provide further details relating to enforcement or the specifics of the restrictions.

In response, Lee questioned the "Principles on Restricting the Use of Products That Endanger National Cyber Security," issued by the Executive Yuan in 2019, which forms the basis of the ban, arguing that its vast scope could have unintended consequences.

She raised concerns that the broad restrictions could negatively impact academic research and student learning.

Despite the opposition, some ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers support the ban, stressing Taiwan's vulnerability to military and cybersecurity threats from China.

DPP lawmaker Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) urged Taiwan to exercise greater caution.

He also called on businesses and individuals in the private sector to be more vigilant about cybersecurity and avoid using DeepSeek products if there are security risks.

Last week, Italy's data protection authority blocked the Chinese AI model over concerns about its use of personal data, while United States and Australian officials have also raised privacy concerns.

DeepSeek has also roiled the global tech market, with reports claiming it rivals American AI products despite using inferior chips and a ban on sales of the most advanced chips to Chinese companies.