Microsoft's Ban on DeepSeek Usage

Microsoft's leadership has decided to prohibit its employees from using the artificial intelligence tool DeepSeek due to concerns about data security in China and potential risks from Chinese propaganda. This was reported by Vice President Brad Smith during hearings in the US Senate, as stated by TechCrunch.

According to Smith, DeepSeek is also unavailable in the Microsoft Store because user data is stored on servers in China and may be transmitted to local authorities under Chinese law.

Despite the ban on the application, Microsoft had previously granted access to the AI model DeepSeek R1 via its cloud platform Azure. Smith stated that Microsoft managed to 'intervene' in the DeepSeek AI model and 'modify' it to eliminate 'undesirable side effects'.

This is Microsoft's first public statement regarding the restrictions on DeepSeek, although other companies and countries have already implemented similar bans. The DeepSeek application is considered a competitor to Copilot — Microsoft's own AI solution for internet searches.