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U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) have introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at safeguarding sensitive data held by federal agencies from potential access by foreign states, including China. The proposed legislation—titled the Protection Against Foreign Adversarial Artificial Intelligence Act—seeks to prohibit the use of DeepSeek, an artificial intelligence platform, in any government contracts.
The ban would extend not only to existing versions of DeepSeek but also to any future iterations developed by its creator, the Chinese firm High-Flyer. The rationale lies in the platform’s direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party and the obligations imposed by Chinese law, which mandates that domestic companies share collected data with state intelligence agencies. The bill underscores the concern that such technologies may be exploited for cyber espionage and thus constitute a threat to U.S. national security.
The legislation further mandates that the U.S. Department of Commerce, in coordination with the Department of Defense, submit a report to Congress assessing the risks posed by AI platforms developed in nations designated as adversaries of the United States—including China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. The goal is to evaluate the security implications of such technologies and to reduce the likelihood of their integration into critical governmental systems.
Senator Rosen, a former computer programmer and a prominent advocate for strengthening America’s cybersecurity posture, has long voiced her concerns about DeepSeek. Earlier in 2024, she proposed banning the platform across all government devices and networks. She has also urged federal agencies to develop incident response protocols for cyberattacks targeting the healthcare sector. Her other initiative—the Department of Defense Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve Act—was signed into law and laid the foundation for a civilian reserve of cybersecurity experts under the Department of Defense.
Amid rising tensions between the U.S. and China and ongoing efforts to reinforce digital sovereignty, several U.S. states and even allied foreign governments have already prohibited the use of DeepSeek on government-issued devices. This new legislation may represent the first step toward implementing similar restrictions at the federal level.
Previously, Microsoft publicly acknowledged its internal prohibition against the use of DeepSeek by employees, citing concerns over data leaks and political censorship. The application is not available in the Microsoft Store and is explicitly barred from installation on corporate devices.
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