Microsoft has officially banned its employees from using the DeepSeek app, citing serious concerns about data privacy and Chinese government influence.
The announcement came from Microsoft’s vice chairman and president, Brad Smith, during a U.S. Senate hearing.
“At Microsoft, we don’t allow our employees to use the DeepSeek app,” Smith said, referencing both the desktop and mobile versions of the service.
He also confirmed that DeepSeek has not been made available in Microsoft’s app store for the same reasons.
This marks the first time Microsoft has publicly confirmed the ban, even as other organizations and governments have already imposed restrictions on DeepSeek.
The main concern, according to Smith, is that user data from the app is stored on servers in China, making it accessible to Chinese intelligence agencies under local law.
DeepSeek’s privacy policy acknowledges that all data is stored on Chinese servers, which are subject to national security laws. In addition, the app heavily censors topics that are considered politically sensitive by the Chinese government.
Despite these concerns, Microsoft previously allowed DeepSeek’s R1 model to be offered through its Azure cloud platform after the model went viral. Smith did not address this apparent contradiction during the hearing.
This move highlights growing tensions between Western tech firms and Chinese AI services, especially as concerns mount over surveillance, misinformation, and geopolitical influence in digital platforms.
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