The icon for the smartphone apps DeepSeek is seen on a smartphone screen in Beijing, China, Jan. 28, 2025. [Andy Wong/AP Photo]
Greece’s Data Protection Authority has announced that it has initiated an investigation into the legality of Chinese artificial intelligence application DeepSeek under data protection regulations.
Calls are increasing for Greece to ban DeepSeek, whose latest release last month shook Western tech stocks.
Homo Digitalis, a Greek NGO concerned with internet users’ rights, asked regulatory authorities to temporarily suspend the chatbot’s distribution and use until DeepSeek provides satisfactory answers on the fate of users’ private data.
The Data Protection Authority also announced that it is investigating the case concerning the breach of personal data of WhatsApp users by malicious software, following a relevant notification submitted by the company, given that the affected individuals also include subscribers in Greece.
Last week, WhatsApp alleged that nearly 100 journalists and other members of civil society using the app, which is owned by Meta, were targeted by spyware owned by Paragon Solutions, an Israeli maker of hacking software.