DeepSeek banned from Australian government devices over national security concerns

DeepSeek will be banned from all federal government devices as the Albanese government cracks down on the Chinese AI chatbot, citing unspecified national security risks. The launch of DeepSeek's AI generative chatbot rocked US tech stocks last week amid concerns over censorship and data security. The home affairs department secretary signed a directive on Tuesday banning the program from all federal government systems and devices on national security grounds after advice from intelligence agencies that it poses an unacceptable risk. The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, said the decision was not impacted by the app's country of origin – China – but by its risk to the government and its assets. "The Albanese government is taking swift and decisive action to protect Australia's national security and national interest," Burke said.