German Data Protection Authority reports AI app DeepSeek to Apple and Google in Germany as unlawful content.

The Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information has reported the AI application DeepSeek to Google and Apple in Germany as potentially unlawful content. The platform operators are now obliged to promptly review the report and decide whether to block the app. The measure was prompted by a data protection violation involving the unlawful transfer of users' personal data to China.

The authority stated that DeepSeek was unable to demonstrate adequate safeguards to ensure that personal data of German users would be protected at a level equivalent to that guaranteed within the European Union. In particular, the far-reaching access rights of Chinese state authorities and the lack of enforceable rights for affected individuals in China were highlighted as major concerns. This absence of effective legal remedies was considered incompatible with the requirements of the GDPR for international data transfers.

By notifying Apple and Google under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Berlin authority made use of a new regulatory instrument that enables supervisory authorities to flag unlawful content directly to platform operators. The case underlines how data protection enforcement is increasingly intertwined with digital platform regulation in the EU. Depending on the outcome of the review by Apple and Google, the DeepSeek apps could be blocked from the German App Store and Play Store in the near future.