During a recent Senate hearing, Microsoft Vice Chairman and President Brad Smith announced that the company’s employees are prohibited from using the DeepSeek application due to concerns surrounding data security and potential propaganda implications. Smith clarified that this policy extends to the DeepSeek app, available on desktop and mobile platforms.
Smith highlighted that Microsoft has chosen not to include DeepSeek in its app store for similar reasons. While many organisations and nations have already imposed their own restrictions on DeepSeek, this marks the first instance of Microsoft publicly disclosing such a ban. The concerns primarily revolve around data being stored in China, with fears that the information handled by DeepSeek could be susceptible to influence from “Chinese propaganda.”
The privacy policy of DeepSeek reveals that user data is stored on servers located in China, meaning it falls under Chinese jurisdiction, which mandates cooperation with local intelligence agencies. Additionally, the app is known to heavily censor topics deemed sensitive by the Chinese government.
In spite of Smith’s criticisms, Microsoft had already integrated DeepSeek’s R1 model into its Azure cloud platform shortly after it gained popularity earlier this year. However, this offering differs from providing access to the DeepSeek chatbot, as the model is open-source. This means individuals can download it, host it on their own servers, and manage data without transmitting it to China. Still, risks remain regarding the potential spread of propaganda or generating insecure coding practices.
During the Senate session, Smith mentioned that Microsoft had successfully accessed DeepSeek’s AI model to implement changes aimed at eliminating harmful effects, though he did not provide specific details about these modifications. Microsoft previously stated that the DeepSeek model underwent thorough safety evaluations before being launched on Azure.
Interestingly, while DeepSeek poses as a competitor to Microsoft’s own Copilot search chat app, the company does not impose a blanket ban on all chat competitors within its Windows app store. For example, the Perplexity app remains available, while applications from Microsoft’s rival, Google, such as the Chrome browser and its chatbot Gemini, did not appear in a recent search within the store.
In summary, Microsoft’s internal prohibition on DeepSeek usage reflects a growing awareness of the security and ethical implications associated with AI applications influenced by foreign data policies.
Fanpage: TechArena.au
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