Pennsylvania State Treasurer Stacy Garrity has banned the Chinese AI platform DeepSeek from Treasury devices, citing cybersecurity risks and concerns over potential data access by the Chinese government.
Pennsylvania State Treasurer Stacy Garrity has banned the Chinese artificial intelligence platform DeepSeek AI from all Treasury-issued devices, citing cybersecurity risks. The move reflects growing concerns over the security of Chinese-developed technology in U.S. government infrastructure.
Garrity stated that the Treasury handles billions of dollars belonging to Commonwealth residents, making network security a top priority. “There are mounting concerns that DeepSeek has direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), raising the risk that the Chinese government could gain access to sensitive government and personal data,” she said.
The ban applies to all Treasury-issued laptops, mobile devices, and internet-enabled hardware. Treasury’s IT team has also reinforced its firewall to block access to both the DeepSeek app and website, aligning with a broader cybersecurity strategy that actively monitors threats to state financial systems.
DeepSeek AI has gained traction in global markets, even surpassing OpenAI’s ChatGPT in downloads on the Apple App Store earlier this year. However, privacy concerns have led to regulatory scrutiny, with South Korea also pausing downloads of the platform.
This move follows a similar ban on TikTok from Treasury devices in 2022, based on concerns over potential data access by the Chinese government. Experts cite China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law, which mandates cooperation between Chinese companies and intelligence agencies, as a key risk factor.
The Pennsylvania Treasury has long prioritized cybersecurity, blocking over 200 million unauthorized access attempts in 2024 alone. “Building and upgrading our cybersecurity infrastructure is critical to safeguarding our state’s financial assets,” Garrity said.
The ban on DeepSeek AI reflects a broader trend of limiting Chinese technology’s role in U.S. government operations. As cybersecurity concerns evolve, similar restrictions may follow in other state and federal agencies.