The Czech government has officially banned the use of all products from Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek within its state administration, Prime Minister Petr Fiala has announced, citing cybersecurity risks.
The decision follows a recommendation from the National Cyber and Information Security Agency (NÚKIB), which warned that DeepSeek’s data handling practices may allow unauthorized access by Chinese state authorities.
The move places Czechia alongside a growing list of countries—including Italy, Australia, and the United States—that have raised alarms over DeepSeek’s activities and its potential role in foreign intelligence operations.
Cybersecurity agency warns of Chinese state access to data
NÚKIB’s warning assesses the risk posed by DeepSeek’s products as “high,” stating the likelihood of compromise is “probable to very probable.” The agency based its analysis on both domestic findings and intelligence provided by foreign partners.
It concluded that the Chinese legal environment—which obligates companies like DeepSeek to cooperate with government agencies—creates a significant vulnerability for users, especially in the public sector.
“The products in question handle data in a way that may pose a security risk,” said NÚKIB director Lukáš Kintr. “In the context of the legal environment in the People’s Republic of China, which allows state authorities access to this data, the concern is well founded.”
The agency has instructed institutions governed by Czechia’s cybersecurity law to account for this threat in their internal risk assessments and adopt appropriate mitigation strategies. It also advised the general public to carefully consider how and when they use DeepSeek applications—particularly individuals in sensitive political, public, or strategic positions.
DeepSeek’s AI under global scrutiny
DeepSeek, a Chinese tech firm specializing in large-scale language models and artificial intelligence, made headlines earlier this year when it launched an AI product touted as significantly cheaper than U.S.-based alternatives. However, its rapid global expansion has drawn increasing scrutiny from Western governments.
In February, Australia imposed a full ban on the use of DeepSeek applications across government systems. Italy became the first country to block downloads of DeepSeek’s software altogether. The U.S. government also issued warnings in June, with a State Department official telling Reuters that DeepSeek has ties to Chinese military and intelligence operations.
Czech Prime Minister Fiala echoed these concerns during the cabinet’s announcement, emphasizing that DeepSeek’s data is stored on servers located in China and Russia, where it is not sufficiently protected.
“As a Chinese company, DeepSeek is subject to the obligation to provide cooperation to Chinese state authorities,” Fiala said. “This could lead to unauthorized access to user data.”
The Czech ban is the latest sign of tightening restrictions on foreign technology providers perceived as national security threats. It follows a 2018 NÚKIB advisory against using hardware and software from Chinese telecom giants Huawei and ZTE.